A Maid's Story
by Luna Peachie
Summary: An experimental short story. A Journalist travels to Brightwall for the story of a lifetime. He meets with a dying old lady, who shares with us a story of her time in the castle as a maid under King Logan. What follows is a story of forbidden passion, betrayal amongst friends, a secret affair, and how far one maid will go to protect the people she loves. This is her story.
1. My Name is Rayanne

_A Maid's Story_

My Name is Rayanne

_She was a nice old lady, probably about fifty years young and wore reading glasses. She lived on the far side of Brightwall, in a two story home where the old chicken farm used to be. A young journalist for the Bowerstone Post made the journey all the way here to hear the sick old woman's story. From what the locals said, it's a doozy. _

_This old woman was dying, and usually had a doctor nearby, but today, the day the journalist arrived, the doctor was nowhere to be found. The Journalist found this ample opportunity to get the woman's side of the story. According to rumor, she was once a maid for the royal family, under former King Logan's rule. Apparently, this story of the old woman's just had to be told, and couldn't be lost once she left this world._

"_Well, I guess I should explain myself, seeing as you came all this way…" the old lady started, as she poured herself and the Journalist some tea. "My name is Rayanne, and I am…well, I used to be a maid serving the royal family of Albion."_

"_You served during King Logan's reign?" asked the Journalist, as he picked up his pen and writing pad. "Yes, I served under King Logan. It just depends on what you mean by the word 'served'." The Old Woman chuckled softly and sipped her tea. _

_The Journalist tried not to chuckle. "Well, I was informed by everyone in town that your story about the true goings-on during the time of King Logan was quite astonishing and not something to be lost to the ages."_

_The Old Woman chuckled softly. "I wouldn't call it astonishing by any means, but I guess to those who didn't live it, it's pretty fascinating. To be honest, I didn't really like living it, but I did. I hate repeating the events that led me to my current…umm, 'situation' but it's a story that needs to be told, I guess."_

"_Why would you say your story is important?" asked the Journalist._

"_Why is my story important?" laughed the Old Woman. "Well, listen carefully and you'll find out."_

* * *

><p>Rayanne didn't know where she was born. In fact, most of the time from before she entered the orphanage was a blur. But what Rayanne did remember seemed to be too painful for words. She remembered little snippets here and there, but nothing she thought was significant.<p>

She remembered a farm somewhere on the outskirts of Oakfield, right before the turn off to Rookridge. She remembered her mother, a pretty young woman who was wise beyond her years, and her father, a man that looked like he never slept. Rayanne remembered their farm, with the cows and chickens and the big fields that she used to chase rabbits in. Things were relatively happy, as far as Rayanne knew. She was too young to know any better, but she never complained when her mother sent her outside to play when her father started to get loud.

The farm was a wonderful place and Rayanne was a happy, healthy child. It was a semi-secluded place, only one neighbor that lived just a stone's throw away. The town of Oakfield wasn't too far, as Rayanne could see it when she stood on the stump her father used to chop wood.

There was one memory that Rayanne could never get out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried. That was the day her world shattered. She remembered waking up late at night and hearing her mother yell that she was taking Rayanne away back to Bowerstone with her and that she had finally had enough of her husband's nonsense. She heard her father leave the house and her mother run hastily up the stairs, telling Rayanne to get dressed. Rayanne did as she was told but by the time she was ready, she found the front door wide open and her father hacking away at something.

The fields were on fire. It lit up the entire area, like it was still day time. Whatever her father was hacking away at was wrapped in her mother's apron. Rayanne would later find out her father had gone off the deep end and set their fields on fire. Her father looked in the doorway and saw little Rayanne, watching with her big brown eyes. He dropped the garden hoe and picked up something blunt. Rayanne wasn't sure what it was, but when her father grabbed her and smacked her upside the head yelling, "Bad girl! Look what happened!" she knew it she wasn't going to town that day.

Before Rayanne blacked out, and before her father could administer the finishing blow, the entire Oakfield guard tackled her father to the ground. As the world turned dark, one of the meeker guards ran up to Rayanne and picked her up. "She's still alive!" he shouted, wrapping Rayanne in his uniform coat. Then, there was nothing but darkness.

Rayanne wouldn't know what happened to her father until years later. She learned he had been transported to a place called "Ravenscar Keep" but wouldn't know what that place was until she was an adult. The townspeople of Oakfield, including the neighbor that got the guards just in time to save Rayanne's life, had gathered enough evidence to keep her father in irons for the rest of his life. If his insanity didn't take him first, then the rats would.

The next thing Rayanne knew, she was on her way to Bowerstone. She couldn't be excited about it, as her mother wasn't the one taking her. Rayanne would later find out her mother was buried in an unmarked grave in the Oakfield cemetery. When Rayanne was old enough and had money (and learned a little more about her mother), she bought a gravestone to be placed there. She believed what was left of her mother deserved a proper resting place.

Rayanne woke up to the carriage stopping and a gangly looking nursemaid being told her story. The nursemaid made horrified gestures and showed the guards where to put Rayanne. Rayanne was physically weak, so she went in and out of sleep. When she woke up again, the nursemaid was rewrapping her bandages. Rayanne innocently asked when she was going home. The nursemaid smiled a bittersweet smile and told her, "This is your home now, Rayanne…"

The Bowerstone Industrial Orphanage was a filthy place. Rayanne often described it as "A run-down barn on an abandoned farm. Now, put some beds and some children in there, and you have the Bowerstone Industrial district's orphanage." The worst part by far was probably the smell, which she really didn't care to remember. Sometimes, she and the other children woke up to the room a bit foggy. The older kids said it was smoke that came in through the windows when the nursemaids forgot to close them at night. Smoke from the factories run by that Reaver.

Despite the horrid conditions, life at the orphanage wasn't bad. They were always fed, if one can call that food (she didn't). The staff was friendly, which some of the kids thought was as good as having parents. The head nursemaid kept constant vigil over Rayanne was her wound recovered. Whenever Rayanne asked about her parents, the nursemaid would just stare at her and smile. "Don't worry, Rayanne, an adorable girl like you will be adopted in no time." That was always her answer.

For the most part, she was right. Rayanne did get snatched up pretty quickly. At about five or so years old, Rayanne found her ticket out of that place when a skinny old man came to the orphanage. He was joined by a pudgy old woman in a maid's outfit, and she seemed to be skimming the hallways for something. The nursemaid told the children to line up along our beds. They always did this whenever prospective parents came. She didn't know about the others, but Rayanne always felt like a cattle at auction, waiting to be sold to the highest bidder, than going off to who knows where. Sometimes, the prospective parents would stop at her, examine her, say a few things, and then go off to the next kid. Usually, they'd pick a boy. From what the older kids said, most of those "prospective parents" were just farmers looking for farmhands they didn't have to pay.

As it turned out, the skinny old man and the pudgy lady were actually servants for the royal family. They were instructed by the royal family to find new "charges" so to speak. Rayanne figured training children was cheaper than training adults. "We have enough boys, now just need a few girls." said the Pudgy Lady.

"Why do you insist on getting girls?" asked the Skinny Man.

"Because, Jasper, I'm running short on maids. Most of them are grown up and getting married, meaning they are quitting to start families. I don't care how many butlers you train, but I need maids." By the look on his face, Rayanne could tell the Skinny Man didn't like arguing with the Pudgy Lady.

Out of all the children there, four were adopted that day, Rayanne being one of them (and the only girl). The paperwork was filled out and the children were loaded into the carriage to start their new life.

When they arrived at the castle, the pudgy maid took Rayanne to the servant's area and gave her the first real bath she had gotten since moving into the orphanage. To this very day, it was still the best bath Rayanne could say she ever got.

The servant's quarters were near the garden, though there aren't many windows. Only the head servants, like Jasper, the Princess's attendant, get their own rooms in the castle, but sharing a room with two or three other maids didn't seem to matter at all to Rayanne. Her first set of roommates (and there would be many others through the years) were three teenage maids waiting for another room to open up.

"Alright, Little Maid…" said the teenage maid she shared a room with. "Alright, Little Maid" was always the first thing any of the maids ever said to Rayanne until she was at least ten. "…you were adopted for a reason. You have been given the privilege of becoming a servant for the esteemed royal family. I advise you not to squander such a gift. Most children from the orphanage end up on the streets or in brothels." The teenage maid told Rayanne on her first day of training.

"Now, Little Maid, you will be training under Miss Marigold. You met her the day she and Jasper went to the orphanage to fetch you. She is the head maid to the Royal Family and has been for many years. You are to treat her with the utmost respect, call her "Ma'am" as much as possible, and don't talk back when she gives you an order. Just do as she says, and you'll do just fine here." The teenage maid held Rayanne firmly by the arm and took her into the castle.

Miss Marigold was a nice but very strict old lady, very grandmotherly and acted as mother to all the maids. With her white hair kept in a bun, Miss Marigold certainly looked the part of mother. She taught Rayanne the ins and outs of the castle and how to clean them properly. "When it doubt, do it again" was her personal mantra. "It is an easy profession and as soon as you're old enough, you'll start getting paid to do it. Until then, you are an apprentice and working for room, board, and food mostly." She never failed to tell the Little Maids, a soon as more came along. "Keep your hair up at all times. You don't want to offend he royal family with loose hair all over the place." That was the reason Rayanne always kept her hair in braid, even well into old age.

Training under Miss Marigold was tough, but nothing Rayanne couldn't handle. Miss Marigold often told the Little Maids that basically anything they did that wasn't work would offend the Royal Family. "Wake up early every morning and take a bath. The cleanliness of the help reflects upon the family they work for. If their servants look unkempt, it is assumed the family can't afford decent help. So, always wash yourself and brush your hair. The only thing that should have spots on it at the end of the day is your apron, and do try to keep that at a minimum too." She told the Little Maids as they helped her polish silver.

Following orders wasn't hard for Rayanne. She often kept to herself. She never was much of an objector, seeing as every time she talked back, Miss Marigold would smack her mouth. "Be quiet and do as you're told!" she would shout. Rayanne often thought it was that conditioning as a child made her into a quiet, stoic perfectionist in her adult years.

Rayanne never liked trouble, but often saw the other Little Maids get into it often. Once, she heard one of the other Little Maids talk sass to a butler, saying she didn't want to clean out the fireplace in the study. That little tantrum earned her three days without supper and confinement in what the older maids called the "Quiet Room" at the very end of the Servant's Area. The thought of being alone in that place for even a minute was terrifying to Rayanne, so she always did as she was told. She kept herself clean, held her head up like a proper young woman, and did all her work without fuss. The older maids often used Rayanne as an example of how the other Little Maids should be. Suffice to say, it didn't gain her many friends.

Rayanne probably went an entire year working there without seeing one glimpse of the Royal Family. Some of the older maids told her it was normal, as the Royal Family was often busy with whatever it is the Royal Family did besides run the kingdom. All they had to do was keep the place clean for them.

One day duties were called off and all the servants were instructed to prepare for a funeral. "The Old Hero Monarch has died!" everyone kept shouting. It wasn't until they lowered the "Old Hero Monarch" into the tomb in the garden that Rayanne got a glimpse of the man who would ultimately affect her in more ways than one in a few years' time. Prince Logan, a strapping young man of about maybe fifteen, and trailing behind him was his sister, the young Princess Robin, whom was about Rayanne's age (about six). Rayanne stayed next to Miss Marigold during the entire ceremony. He glanced over at Rayanne once and she believed that's all it took.

When it came to being a maid, Rayanne figured all she had to do was follow orders. As she grew into a young woman, Rayanne's flawless ability to listen to orders saw her through good times and bad. Eventually, thanks to this "talent", she was chosen to be Miss Marigold's apprentice. This meant when Miss Marigold died or retired, Rayanne would take her place as head maid. Rayanne hoped that wouldn't happen for years, but felt honored by the title nonetheless. She'd eventually make friends, and a few enemies, but what Rayanne never expected was to be the object of desire to the most powerful man in Albion.

…and that is where Rayanne's story begins…

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha, everyone! I'm Luna Peachie, and you are all invited to my little experiment!<strong>

**This story has been swimming around in my head for a good long while, but I never really knew how to execute it. It's a pretty graphic story, and honestly. It's more of an experiment in how far my boundaries can go. And you guys are the willing lab rats! Ohhh goody goody goody!**

**This is partially the reason why I haven't updated my "Reaver's Servants" fic recently, but don't worry, I have the next chapter almost finished. Sadly, I had to scrap a few ideas before I found one I liked, but I think you guys will like it.**

**I probably won't be updating this one as much as my other one, as I've mentioned before, serious stories aren't my forte'. Luckily, this will be short, probably no more than five parts, so I hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Give me some criticism on it, so I'll know if my experiment is going good or not.**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead **


	2. The Seer's Promise

_A Maid's Story_

The Seer's Promise

_The old lady sipped her tea softly as the Journalist straightened himself in his chair. "Forgive me for saying, but for a dying old woman, you seem to be in good spirits." He mentioned, as he finished his tea._

_The old lady smiled and nodded. "You take the good with the bad. I may not have much longer on this Earth, but that doesn't mean I can't smile. If there is anything life has taught me it's that you have to keep going, through the pain and the sunshine." She chuckled._

_The Journalist nodded, placing his tea cup down and taking his writing pad back up. He eagerly placed the tip of the pen on the paper and nuzzled himself comfortably into his seat. "If I may, you talked earlier about becoming a maid at a young age. It was fascinating to hear, but something tells me that's not the story you want to tell." The Journalist guessed. _

_The old lady nodded softly and put her cup down. "Ahh, you saw right through me. They certainly picked the right young man to publish this story." The old lady got up slowly and started walking with her empty dishes to the sink. _

"_Would you like me to carry those for you, Ma'am?" the Journalist asked._

_The old lady shook her head. "No, it's not often I get to do things on my own anymore. My son would have a fit if he saw me up. He is so protective of his lonely old mother. But, it's probably my fault. I was overprotective of him when he was a child, so…" the old lady shrugged and put her dishes in the sink. _

"_You have a son, Ma'am?" the Journalist asked._

"_Oh yes, my Liam. He's been running the general store since my husband died. He's a good young man, but his priorities are all mixed up. He needs to find himself a wife and stop worrying about his old mother." The old lady sighed happily as she filled the sink with lukewarm water. "The story of how my met my husband intertwines with the story you're after if you don't mind hearing it." The old lady said. _

"_Not at all, Ma'am." The Journalist smiled softly as the old lady turned back around after turning the sink knobs._

"_Now…where was I…?"_

* * *

><p>Life in the castle didn't make Rayanne placid. If anything, it made her more alert. Growing up learning only how to serve others made Rayanne somewhat patient and stoic. Rarely showing any emotion, Rayanne did her duties with a bow and a "Yes, Miss Marigold" whenever they were assigned to her. Miss Marigold liked seeing things getting done, and that was something Rayanne was willing to deliver, no matter what the circumstance. Of course, being the perfect maid in the head maid's eyes didn't sit too well with the other young maids.<p>

Due to her efficiency, Rayanne was made Miss Marigold's assistant; something the other maids did not like. It gave her a little more leeway in the castle and it opened up places that most maids weren't allowed to go. But Rayanne wasn't one to take advantage of things; she just did her work. She did find, however, that being allowed in certain places meant being the first to know all the juiciest gossip in the castle.

Rayanne had just turned fifteen when she had started noticing odd things around the castle. "Today, Little Maid, you are in for a treat." said Miss Marigold, leading Rayanne up the grand staircase. Even at fifteen, she was still called "Little Maid" by Miss Marigold. She wasn't sure why. She was probably the oldest "Little Maid" in the entire castle. "Today, I am going to teach you how to properly tend to the King's chamber." Rayanne couldn't believe her ears. She knew the royal suite was off limits to all except the Royal Family and the head servants. What could this mean?

"As you know, Little Maid, I won't be on this Earth forever. I chose you to be my assistant so you could take over as head maid when the time comes. As head maid, my duties and responsibilities go farther than you'd imagine. But you're young, so I imagine you'll get the hang of it quickly, just like I did." Miss Marigold seemed to have a lot of faith in Rayanne, to which Rayanne was grateful. "The king returns from his voyage this evening and everything needs to be perfect." She mumbled, leading Rayanne up to the King's chamber.

With a nod from the guards, Miss Marigold opened the doors to the king's chamber wide, and the two maids walked in, with the guard behind them. "Good afternoon, Miss Marigold, and to you too, Rayanne." said the guard, pulling the brim of his hat down softly.

"Don't let Trent intimidate you, Little Maid. He's only here because the King insists whoever cleans his room be watched." huffed Miss Marigold.

Rayanne nodded her hello to the guard, which he returned, with a smile that made Rayanne blush. Rayanne knew Trent fairly well. Though guarding the Royal Suite was an honor, it was also incredibly boring. It was mostly opening doors and nodding to the King.

Though the Royal Chamber already looked immaculate, Rayanne knew that Miss Marigold wasn't satisfied. "Filthy!" she shouted, as she trailed her finger along a very thin layer of dust covering the cabinet. Miss Marigold put down her basket of supplies and handed Rayanne a feather duster. "Start dusting while I change the sheets." Miss Marigold shouted. Rayanne did just that. She was obedient to a fault. "I send two maids in here every day to just tidy up, and they neglect even the simplest orders." Miss Marigold shook her head and hastily yanked the sheets off the massive bed.

"Always remember, Little Maid; we are given something precious: the trust of the Royal Family. I suggest you keep from meddling where you don't belong." Miss Marigold sounded more serious than usual when she said that. The guard watched the two maids work their magic. He seemed to be watching Rayanne quite closely. Rayanne knew he was watching her, and she blushed softly as she dusted, trying not to seem obvious.

"Trent, if you're going to stand there like a post, at least make yourself useful!" Miss Marigold shouted, handing Trent some white linens to hold.

"Yes, Miss Marigold." The young soldier laughed.

"What time did your superior say that King Logan would be back?" Trent fumbled a bit with the linens as Miss Marigold piled them into his arms.

"It won't be until after supper tonight, Ma'am. You and your assistant have plenty of time." Trent's reassurance didn't stop Miss Marigold from going as fast as she could.

Miss Marigold huffed a bit and continued with her core. "Good. We can take our time, then. Could you take those to the girls down in the laundry room? And while you're at it, go see what those other maids are doing. I gave them their assignments, but who knows if they are actually doing anything."

Trent nodded and left with the sheets. Miss Marigold didn't usually talk during one of her cleaning frenzies, but she made an exception for Rayanne. "Rayanne, I heard from one of the gardeners that two of the other maids were bullying you again." said Miss Marigold, not facing Rayanne. Miss Marigold only called Rayanne by her name when addressing something serious.

Rayanne said nothing; she just picked stuff up and dusted underneath. "Was it Abigail and Beatrice again?" Rayanne still said nothing; she just stopped and tried to keep the tears down. "Rayanne, don't let them bully you. If they do, tell me and I will punish them." Miss Marigold had her heart in the right place telling Rayanne that, but only Rayanne knew that would only make it worse.

Abigail and Beatrice were about the same age as Rayanne and started a little after her. They and a few other girls had been "Little Maids" together, but Abigail and Beatrice seemed to delight in bullying quiet, obedient Rayanne, often calling her Miss Marigold's pet. It started out small; childish pranks such as hiding Rayanne's uniform in the morning or putting bugs in her bed while she slept. As the girls got older, the bullying turned more intense; pushing Rayanne down, cornering her and harassing her, and even once physically assaulting her.

Rayanne wasn't sure why they bullied her. Each time she told Miss Marigold about the bullying, it became worse after their punishments. So, Rayanne elected to keep her mouth shut.

_Trust…_ she kept thinking to herself. Ever since she was a little girl, Rayanne didn't know exactly who to trust. One of the boys at the orphanage once told her to be careful who she trusts. She took that advice to heart. Rayanne probably kept herself more guarded than she needed to be.

The dusting done, Rayanne noticed a bucket full of soapy water and a few rags next to the window. "I'm going to fetch some fresh linen. Get to work on the windows while I'm gone." commanded Miss Marigold. Once again, Rayanne did as she was told. Once Miss Marigold was gone, Rayanne pulled back the curtains and began scrubbing. She could see the side gardens from the King's windows. Nobles trotting about and guards standing at post, Rayanne wondered if the King watched these people all day. She couldn't imagine anything more boring, but then again to each, their own, she was often told.

The windows shimmered like crystal, which grasped the sunlight well. If there was anything missing from the King's room, it was sunlight. The garden was bigger than Rayanne had imagined, having only really seen the parts near the servant's hallway. Something, or someone, rather, caught her attention, as she found a stool the clean the higher windows.

Princess Robin was about the same age as Rayanne. Rayanne watched as she sauntered about the garden in what looked like a brand new dress. Rayanne didn't own anything as pretty as the Princess's, but she had a few dresses she wore whenever she ventured into Bowerstone (which was rare in itself). She noticed a few similarities between her and Princess Robin (physical anyway).

Princess Robin was also a brunette who kept her hair braided, though her hair was silkier and more kept than Rayanne's. They were about the same height, if not Rayanne being an inch or so taller. Miss Marigold often told Rayanne she had a cute nose. Rayanne wondered if the Princess had been told that too. Princess Robin's skin had a lovely glow about it, while Rayanne was somewhat pail. Rayanne was scrawnier than the Princess, who was already getting a few curves of her own. While physically they could probably trade places without anyone noticing, there was something Princess Robin had that Rayanne didn't really think she wanted until just recently.

Elliot was the son of a councilman in King Logan's court. Rayanne had only met him a few times, but he seemed like a nice young man. Rayanne would sometimes talk to him while he was waiting for the Princess, and it sounded like Elliot (despite his noble background) knew what was going on around the kingdom. Rayanne found it refreshing, as most nobles tend to ignore the troubles of the world. Rayanne would be lying if she said she didn't have a small crush on him, but she knew better than to interfere with any royal affair. She had seen many of her fellow servants dragged off and never seen again for sticking their noses where they didn't belong.

Rayanne watched as Princess Robin and Elliot nervously held hands and snuck kisses to each other's cheeks. Rayanne giggled softly and blushed, squeezing the rag hard in her hand. "Watch out, or you'll spill that on the carpet." chuckled a voice from behind. Rayanne almost fell off her stool, but the voice's owner caught her.

"Oh, Trent…hello." said Rayanne, as he help her get her balance back.

"Where did Miss Marigold go?" Trent asked, looking around.

"She went to get some fresh linen, but that was a little while ago." Rayanne answered, picking up her bucket and walking to another set of windows.

"She must have caught those two troublesome maids with the Elites again." Trent chuckled softly.

"What do you mean?" asked Rayanne.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear." Trent chuckled, trying not to blush thinking about his statement. "The other night, two of those purple-clad Elites got caught with their trousers down, quite literally, with two of your fellow maids. I think their names were Abigail and…"

Rayanne perked up. "…Beatrice?" she asked, softly.

Trent nodded and scratched his peach fuzzed chin with his gloved hand. "Yeah, Abigail and Beatrice; those two are always in some kind of trouble. I heard they begged Miss Marigold not to send them to 'The Quiet Room', whatever the hell that is."

Upon hearing Trent mention "The Quiet Room" Rayanne suddenly became still. "It's where the Little Maids are sent when they are bad. I've never been in there myself, but I figured even those two were too mature to be sent there." Rayanne stood on her stool again to reach the higher windows.

Trent chuckled softly and played with the peach fuzz on his chin. "So, how has your summer without the king been, Trent?" asked Rayanne, as Trent helped her off the stool.

"As boring as it is if he were here. Though, there are talks of transfers." He mentioned.

"Transfers?" asked Rayanne, picking up her bucket.

"Yep, though I doubt I'm in the running." He said, softly. Rayanne smiled softly and touched his arm.

"Well, I hope you don't get transferred…I like having you here." She giggled, softly. Trent blushed and loosened his collar a bit.

"And I like being here a lot more, now." He laughed, as Miss Marigold walked back in. She looked a little panicked.

"Ahh, Miss Marigold, is something the matter?" asked Trent.

"The King is home early!" she shouted, running the linens to the bed. "Little Maid, sweep around the closet. The other maids will be in here any minute with the King's clothing." Trent hurried back to his post and kept the doors open as the other servants rushed into the room. Placing everything on hangers and stands, everyone rushed in and out of the King's room.

"He's entered the castle gates! The other servants are taking his luggage inside!" shouted one of the maids.

"Oh, bother! Everyone except Rayanne, out now! To your posts!" shouted Miss Marigold, as the maids and butlers scurried out the room. "Straighten yourself up!" shouted Miss Marigold. Rayanne tightened her braid and fixed the little maid's hat on her head.

"Welcome home, your Highness." Rayanne heard a few maids saying in the hallway. "Sire?" she heard a guard asked. Rayanne heard the loud thump of riding boots. She knew that sound very well.

"Hello, my King, I trust you're…" Trent didn't finish his sentence. The doors burst open, King Logan standing in the doorway. Miss Marigold has just finished making the bed before he had walked in.

Both maids bowing, King Logan looked like a sleep deprived animal. "Both of you, out of my quarters, now!" he shouted, walking past the two maids. The two maids bowed and left in a hurry. "Trent!" the King shouted. Trent slowly walked into the King's chamber.

"Yes, Sire?" he asked.

"Have Jasper up here as soon as possible."

Rayanne and Miss Marigold didn't see the king much the rest of the day. Usually, when he had come back from an expedition, the first thing he'd do was go to see his sister and then have a leisurely dinner in the dining hall. But no one had seen the King all day, not even Princess Robin. Of course, duties went on as usual.

When the day was over, Rayanne was making her way through the garden to the servant's area. She looked up and thought she saw a hooded person walking along the garden path. "Hello?" she shouted. No one was supposed to be in the gardens at night except the guards and they were nowhere to be found. Rayanne wasn't usually curious, but something made her follow the hooded being. From the light of the lanterns, she could make out that the person was a woman. The woman seemed to walk with the night, going wherever the spirits led her.

"Hello, Ma'am? No one is allowed in the gardens at night!" said Rayanne, catching up to the hooded figure.

"If that is the case, why are you here?" the lady's voice flowed seamlessly, like a river.

Rayanne was taken aback by the question. "I was on my way back from my duties…who are you?" Rayanne asked.

"An old friend of the former monarch you need not concern yourself, Rayanne." The woman just stood there, by the entrance of the tomb.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, softly.

"I know many things. But they are of little significance." The old woman walked down the stairs to the tomb.

"Hey, no one is allowed in there! By order…"

"…of King Logan? Get used to that phrase, Rayanne. In a few short years, you will hear it more often than you'd like." The hooded woman touched the door to the tomb and it opened. "I suggest you continue on your way. The King is on his way outside to meet with me." The woman didn't walk in immediately. She just smiled, as if something came to her. "Since you made the effort to chase after me, like a good little maid, I think you deserve a reward."

The hooded woman turned around and faced Rayanne. The area around the two became grey, void of any other color. Time seemed to stand still. "What is going on?" asked Rayanne, softly. Rayanne watched the woman open her eyes, revealing only silver orbs. "What…are you?" she whimpered, backing up a few steps.

"I am the Seer of the Spire. I see in other realms than this one. I see all possible timelines, and I see yours very well." The Hooded Woman smiled.

"You may not believe it, but in time, you will play a larger role in the King's life than you may want. He will turn to you more than his advisors. You will become the one person who speaks the truth to him instead of toadying and you will be highly regarded for it. But the price for such a gift is high; You, Rayanne, will become his plaything. King Logan will abuse your loyalty and you will be nothing more than a pet; a tainted, broken toy for his own amusement. It will isolate you from those you love and make everyone question your intentions. You will be looked upon with admiration, jealousy, and even foul intent. But fear not, Little Maid, not all is lost; though you will suffer personal torment that will last for years, it will beget a great reward."

The woman turned back to the door. "Now, Little Maid…begone…" the woman vanished in a blinding flash of light.

Rayanne found herself lying on her bed, not sure what to make of what she had encountered. Not even sure how she even got back to her room, Rayanne stared at the ceiling. Who was that woman?

_**A Year and a Half Later**_

"I heard he takes all his meals in the war room now." said one maid, as she swept up the dining room hallway.

"Well, what you hear is true; whatever happened to King Logan last year really stuck with him. He doesn't leave the castle much and he's upped his sister's training. Poor thing barely has time to tie her damn shoes with all the combat training he has Sir Walter giving her." said a nearby guard.

"She's sixteen this month, isn't she?" asked the maid, leaning against her broom.

The guard nodded as he relaxed a bit against the wall. "Yep, though you wouldn't know it. I hear he's forbidden his sister from leaving the castle without him. Not Sir Walter, not Jasper, but King Logan alone. Not that she ever left the castle much in the first place, anyway."

Rumors spread through Bowerstone Castle like the plague. Everyone seemed to be on edge. The King, once the symbol of cultivated elegance, was more like an animal, only occasionally peeking his head out of the war room. Whenever he did leave, it wasn't for long and he usually went straight to his chambers afterward. One could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Even the maids were on edge. Rayanne did her best to ignore rumors and other idle gossip. She just did her job, like she was trained to do by Miss Marigold.

She was sweeping the hallway outside the throne room, trying to ignore the wound on her arm. It throbbed badly, and swelled up to the point of her needing to wrap it. Abigail and Beatrice found it necessary a few mornings ago to attack her when she tried to ignore their teasing.

Though the voice in her head told her not to, Rayanne got a little closer to the door, wanting to hear how the proceedings were going. Someone was on trial for something, she just wasn't sure what. Whenever a guard would pass, Rayanne pretended to be sweeping again, but kept her ears open. Rayanne probably would have swept the carpet away had she not stopped when she heard a whispering noise. "Rayanne! Over here!" whispered Trent from his post. Rayanne looked up and placed her broom against the wall. Rayanne found it unusual for Trent to be stationed anywhere except outside the King's chamber.

Trent made sure no superiors were around and walked to Rayanne. "Trent, why aren't you at your post?" she asked.

"I am at my post. King Logan has me on patrol now. He put one of his Elites in front of his room." Trent kept looking over his shoulder.

"Trent, you seem uneasy." Taking out her handkerchief, Rayanne dabbed Trent's forehead of sweat.

"All the soldiers are uneasy. More of those purple clad elites are popping up every day. I just can't measure up to them." Tugging at his collar, Trent kept looking around.

"Calm yourself, Trent." Rayanne giggled.

"I hear rumors, and usually I don't believe them, but lately I've found some truth in them. I've heard of people being sent to this place called 'The Keep' for disobeying orders. I'm trying my hardest not to screw up." Rayanne looked at Trent with a confused looked. "And it's not just AWOL soldiers and n'er-do-wells. Some of the servants have been disappearing too."

Noticing Rayanne was wearing a long sleeve uniform (odd, seeing as it was late spring), Trent gently grabbed her arm and pulled up her sleeve. "Abigail and Beatrice have been at it again, haven't they?" he asked. Rayanne said nothing. "Rayanne, don't let them do this to you. Look, I know telling Miss Marigold won't do anything, but at least tell a guard." Trent looked up and saw a superior walk toward him. "I have to get back to my patrols. I'll talk to you later, Rayanne." Trent moseyed away, leaving Rayanne with a lot to think about, but little time to think.

Turning around, she noticed her broom was missing. She looked around and heard giggling. A feeling of calm dread washed over her almost immediately. "Slacking off, Rayanne? That's so unlike you." laughed Abigail, leaning against the broom. Beatrice just laughed and nodded like a good idiot henchman. "If I had known something was going on between you and Trent, I wouldn't have asked him to take me into town tonight. I guess I know why he refused."

Abigail was slightly taller than Rayanne and wore her dark red hair a lot shorter in a messy bob. Beatrice was lanky, her uniform barely fitting her properly. Her raven black hair was shoulder length and shined like a newly paved road. "Nothing is going on between me and Trent; we're friends, nothing more." Rayanne reached for the broom, but Abigail held it just out of reach.

Her snide smile seemed to be overcompensating for a horribly damaged psyche. "We see the way you look at Trent, Rayanne. You want more than just his friendship. I bet you want to sheath his sword every night." Abigail cackled.

"Sheath…his sword?" Rayanne asked.

"You…you haven't…?" Abigail's eye twitched softly, as if it were taking the brunt of the pressure from the laughter trying to force itself out of Abigail's mouth.

"Abigail…I think that Rayanne's still…" Beatrice tried to keep her laughter down.

"It's not surprising." said Abigail, throwing the broom down at Rayanne's feet. "Miss Marigold's pet needs to stay pure."

"Just because I don't give it up to any off-duty guard doesn't make me a pet!" Rayanne wasn't sure what made her yell that. Beatrice stepped back, stunned, as Abigail cracked her knuckles.

With the growl of a hungry animal, Abigail stomped toward Rayanne, who started scooting back. "You're going to pay for that remark, you dumb runt!" she shouted, as she grabbed Rayanne by the dress. Rayanne tried to fight back but Abigail dragged her toward the grand staircase. "You're nothing but a useless pet! Obedient to the point where you'd bend over whenever Miss Marigold needed someone to kiss her ass!" Rayanne struggled, but it did little good.

"Abigail, someone might catch us! Leave her alone." pleaded Beatrice, yanking at Abigail's sleeve.

Abigail pushed Beatrice out of the way with her free arm. "I am so sick of you being the perfect little maid! All I hear is 'Rayanne' this and 'Rayanne' that. Always the perfect little maid! You always do as she asks; clean up the floors, polish the silver, organize the king's room. I wonder, if Miss Marigold asked you to fly, could you?"

Rayanne dug her heels into the plush carpet, almost scrapping the floors underneath. Before anything could happen, the throne room doors swung open. Leading the procession of councilmen was King Logan. "I want those new taxes enacted immediately." He shouted, as the councilmen nodded. He stopped just before staircase and noticed the three maids. "Is there a problem, ladies?" he asked, as he approached.

Abigail let go of Rayanne at that point and bowed. "No, my king, no problems at all; we were just getting back to our duties. You look quite debonair today…" King Logan raised his hand and Abigail fell silent.

His gaze immediately shot to Abigail. "Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Miss Abigail. I've had enough of you causing trouble. The next time I see you in my throne room had better be because the throne needs to be dusted, not because you're bullying the other maids again." He scolded as he looked among the three. "Tell Miss Marigold I have no time to deal with the bickering of maids. If she can't keep them under control, I will find someone who can." He was about to scold Beatrice but stopped to gaze at Rayanne.

"You're Miss Marigold's apprentice, am I correct?" he asked, as Abigail and Beatrice left the area. Rayanne bowed her head.

"Yes, My King." She chirped, softly.

Logan looked Rayanne up and down, noting how she looked a lot like his sister, if not somewhat homelier. He may not have meant to, but Logan graced his index finger across her cheek, flicking an out of place hair-strand behind her ear. He looked as if he had something to say, but he just turned his head away. "Find Jasper and tell him I will have my dinner in my room tonight." He said, finally.

"Yes, My King." Rayanne answered softly. Rayanne watched King Logan leave the immediate area, wondering what was on his mind.

A loud storm raged that night. Everyone except the King slept soundly as thunder and lightning made their presence known to the inhabitants of Bowerstone Castle. Sitting in a chair in the war room, he poured himself some more scotch (this being his fifth cup) and stared out the window. "Obedience…is that so much to ask?" he asked himself. "I feel my kingdom slipping through my fingers." He held his hand up and watched drunkenly as his fingers wiggled. "I barely had a chance to enact anything and already there are rumors of rebellion. Probably just teenagers causing trouble, but still something to consider…"

He had finished his dinner about an hour ago, but he still felt hungry. Though, it wasn't food he was hungry for…

A stirring in him, something primal and instinctive, made him have another drink. "The councilmen warned me there would be unrest if I enacted these laws. I am aware of the consequences. But I must do what is best; for the kingdom, for me…for my sister…" he felt a weird heat in his chest upon saying the last part. "Robin…I promised mother and father that I'd protect you. But you turn away from me lately like I am a stranger and not your brother. Even my own sister..."

Logan stood up and swirled his drink around a bit. "Albion…I must be strong for Albion…" He stood up straight when he heard a knock at his door. He had sent for some extra papers over an hour ago to finish his paperwork. He growled at the lateness of the hour and the lack of promptness of his staff. "Is it so hard to get something when I ask for it?" Logan shouted, making his way to the door. He opened it with a jerking motion and was genuinely surprised when he didn't see Jasper standing there, waiting for him. He looked down and saw Rayanne looking up at him.

"My King…" chirped Rayanne, holding a stack of blank parchment. "Jasper had an errand to take care of, so he asked me to deliver these before I went to bed. I hope I am not interrupting." Rayanne walked into the War Room, clutching the papers tightly. The King watched as Rayanne did every simple motion.

Logan scratched his chin with his thumb and index finger as Rayanne placed the parchment on his desk and replaced the inkwell with a fresh filled one. "You're Rayanne, am I right?" Logan asked. Rayanne looked up and nodded softly as she finished straightening up his desk. "We met earlier, I'm sure you recall. You seem like an honest girl, so I have a question for you. It's not a hard question but it seems no one can give me the correct answer, as they only wish to stroke my ego. Little Maid, would you believe I am a good king?" he asked softly.

Rayanne just looked at him and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry?" she murmured, just standing there.

"You heard me, now answer me." Logan snarled. Rayanne looked like she was about to cry. "Do you see me as some ogre, waiting to feast upon a lamb who has wandered too far from her flock? Do you see me as some wolf waiting for an easy kill?"

Rayanne looked at him with a strange fear in her eyes. "I see you not as a king but as a man!" Rayanne was getting herself ready for the gloved smack of Logan, but would receive no such embarrassment. Logan stared down at her, like a hawk contemplating its kill.

"I see you…as a man. You are concerned for your kingdom and your love for it shows. Not many of your councilmen can see that. You are a good man, but you…" Rayanne shushed herself and started backing up as Logan came closer to her. "…any man can have power, but that doesn't make him less human for it…my king…"

"And as King, I am entitled to a little respect, right, Little Maid?" Logan asked.

Rayanne swallowed hard and sniffled. "…entitlement is…such a loose term, my King. No one is entitled to anything…" Rayanne tried to choose her words wisely. "…respect is something that is earned, or at least that is what I was raised to believe. Fear does not…" Logan's eyes stabbed Rayanne's very heart. She wasn't sure what she was saying, but she couldn't stop herself. He asked for honesty, and it was her duty as a servant to the Royal Family of Albion to give it to him. "Fear can get you what you want…but at a horrible price…"

Logan touched her cheek softly with his gloved hand. She tried to force her face away, but he gripped her chin tightly. This sensation filled her body with a cold jolt that Rayanne wasn't sure she liked or not. She felt her nether regions quiver as the king brought her face close to his. She wasn't sure what to expect, though she didn't expect him to shove her to the floor and out of his way as he left.

As she picked herself off the floor, she heard panicked footsteps enter the room. Trent threw his gun on the ground and ran to Rayanne, helping her up. "Rayanne!" he shouted as he took her hands and helped her up slowly. "Are you alright? I saw you come in but when you didn't leave…I thought he had hurt you." Trent helped Rayanne regain her balance. "I wanted to make sure he was gone before I came to see if you needed help."

Rayanne shook her head a bit to chase away the dizzy feeling. "I'm fine, Trent. But…"

"But what?" Trent asked, escorting Rayanne out of the War Room.

Rayanne blushed softly and shook her head. "…it's nothing. Thank you for your help, Trent. I…I need to get to bed…" Rayanne took off as fast as her shoes could carry her. Trent picked his gun off the ground and scratched his head. He sighed softly and followed behind her a few steps before going back to his patrol.

Fighting back frightened tears, Rayanne could hear the echoes of the Seer as the rain fell like bullets on her. She kept crying, "No, no!" but deep in her heart, she knew what was to come. But now that she knew what was going to happen, she could better prepare herself and avoid it all together. At least that's what she told herself as the rain disguised her frightened and embarrassed tears.

In his room, King Logan watched Rayanne run toward the servant's quarters as fast as she could go. He placed his hand on his chest and didn't change his look of indifference. "Out of all the silk adorned nobles in my court, why is it that a homely maid is the most honest person in this castle?" he whispered softly. "A little obedience is not much to ask for, but when only one person can give it to me…"

Lightning struck a factory tower off in the distance and lit the sky like fireworks. "Little Maid, Little Maid…don't hide your face from me…"

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha, everyone! Luna Peachie here again!<strong>

**So, wow, how long has it been since I first started this story? Almost a year?! SERIOUSLY!? Crazy stuff, am I right? Well, worry no more!**

**Please don't be confused. As I have stated before, it's an experimental short story. I didn't like the first person POV (I suck at it, sorry!) so I changed to third person. If you don't like it…well, sorry, I guess. But please try to enjoy it anyway.**

**For the past year and a half or so, I've been sort of picking at this story, here and there, and I decided that once I was happy, I'd post what I had. So, here it is! It won't start getting really…umm, M rated until next chapter or so, so keep that in mind you dirty pervs (lol just kidding. Don't hide your perviness!)**

**This is one of the side projects I'm going to be working on in between chapters of my main project over in the Portal area, but I already have the third chapter almost ready to go (which ironically was the second half of this chapter, but I sliced it in half).**

**So, be on the lookout for the other side projects I got going on and definitely be around for the huge finale of my major project over in the Portal area; which, by the way, is only three chapters away!**

**So, review and be merry, my doves!**

**Everything Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	3. Masquerade

_A Maid's Story_

Masquerade

"_So, can you say without a doubt that King Logan had your full attention?" asked the Journalist as he jotted down more notes. The Old Lady sighed softly but didn't respond. Maybe she wasn't sure how to respond. In truth, the story she was telling was slightly different than the one she remembered. She decided it might need to be toned down a bit for Albion's readers. There was no way The Bowerstone Post would let this young Journalist publish what she really wanted to tell him. Luckily, she told him to take any liberties he needed in editing. Still, she kept it toned down._

_The Old Lady poured herself some more tea. "I wouldn't say I had his full attention right off the bat, young man." She corrected as she put two sugar cubes in her tea. "King Logan was a very distracted man. Sometimes, the servants would find him asleep in some of the oddest places. I'll tell you about the time one of his bodyguards found him asleep in a hall closet some other time, though." She chuckled with a wink._

_The Journalist smiled and continued to write. Deep down, he knew she was holding back the entire story. But what she was telling him was journalistic gold, even if he would have to edit it a bit. "Well, Miss, I think the readers would love to know something. I know it seems trivial, but he seems to be all the rage nowadays and he's made it no secret he's been around for quite a while…well, what I mean to ask, since he had a lot of dealings with King Logan during those days, did you…"_

"…_ever know the infamous Reaver?" the Old Lady chuckled. "Yes, though I can't say I knew him on an intimate level. Meeting him was actually in the next part of my story."_

_With a twinge of excitement, the Journalist held his pen tightly and smiled eagerly, softly motioning for the Old Lady to continue. "It was a few nights later, when the King had organized the Annual Royal Charity Fundraiser…"_

* * *

><p>As if Rayanne didn't have her hands full enough, the Annual Royal Charity Fundraiser was coming up. Albion's finest would be attending this even and once again, Rayanne would get to see elegance just mosey past her and the other servants as if they didn't exist and everything just prepared themselves just for the Nobles. Well, outwardly, Rayanne had no real opinion on the matter. She just kept herself busy with her duties, helping Miss Marigold prepare the throne room and every so often, going to make sure the other servants were doing their jobs.<p>

"Abigail! Beatrice!" shouted Miss Marigold to the two maids flirting with the guards at the entrance to the throne room. "Get back to work! We have to get everything prepared for tonight!"

Abigail and Beatrice scoffed softly and got back to their duties. Ever since the incident with King Logan, Rayanne decided to keep extra distance from those two. Rayanne just wanted to focus on her duties and keep herself out of trouble. However, every so often, she looked up at Trent, who was put in charge of keeping an eye on the servants in the throne room. He noticed her too and he nodded toward her with a smile. Rayanne blushed and tried to stay focused on her work.

Miss Marigold noticed and grimaced at Trent, who went back to attention whenever Miss Marigold looked in his general direction. "Head out of the clouds, Little Maid." Miss Marigold murmured as she passed by Rayanne with an armful of decorations. Rayanne shook herself from her daydream and went back to setting up.

It was at that time that King Logan walked in with his council and his sister, who looked like she was being dragged along. King Logan seemed to like efficiency and smiled at the servants going at a brisk, yet efficient pace when getting the throne room ready. "Everything is running like a well-oiled machine." He murmured, as he looked among the work being done.

Princess Robin, who looked like she would rather be anywhere but here, glanced around at the servants going about. "Brother, why am I here?" she whispered to Logan as the council dispersed. Logan glanced down at his sister, who was just shy of turning sixteen next month, and sighed softly. While he appreciated his sister not making a fuss while the council was around, he didn't appreciate the annoyed look on her face whenever he tried to discuss business with her.

"Because tonight is an important night and you will not ruin it for me like you did last year. So, I decided to keep you in my line of sight until tonight. We will not have an incident like last year and if I so much as even sense you're about to start trouble, you'll be banished to your bedroom for an entire season!" He growled through his teeth. King Logan went on his way, leaving the Princess just standing there in the middle of the throne room.

"I didn't start that food fight, the other Noble children did! Why won't you believe me?" the Princess shouted as she huffed away. King Logan didn't pay any attention as he inspected the Throne Room. He only stopped at Rayanne and watched as she finished what she was doing. Rayanne tried not to blush and went off to find Miss Marigold. Lately, the only thing she could think about was what the Seer had told her. Though, deep down she was still debating on whether or not it was a dream. Every time she saw the King, the Seer's words echoed in her mind, as if taunting her. So, Rayanne started to avoid the King at all costs.

She desperately wished she knew what King Logan was thinking as he stared her down while she walked away. Luckily, Sir Walter, the King's top advisor (and old friend of the late Monarch) came in just as Logan had started to follow Rayanne out of the throne room. Rayanne couldn't hear what they were discussing, but was relieved to be out of King Logan's line of sight. So relieved, that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and bumped into something. Someone, actually.

Rayanne bowed nervously. "I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I wasn't watching where I was going, it won't happen again." She sounded off, as if she had rehearsed that line. By the silkiness of the fabric of the clothes belonging to the person she just bumped into, Rayanne knew it was someone important she had bumped into, so her groveling was warranted (to her, anyway).

She heard a chuckle that made shivers creep slowly down her spine. "Oh, no need to be so dramatic, my dear." The Man chuckled as he placed his gloved hands on Rayanne's shoulders. Rayanne looked up at the tall man wearing a lavish white jacket with fine fur along the trim. He had a tall hat on with goggles above the brim and he was being followed by an orange haired man who was only an inch or so shorter than him. Rayanne had never met him personally, but she had seen his posters in Bowerstone Market whenever she had a day off.

Reaver's smile slithered across his cheeks as Rayanne backed up. "Look at this, Hatch!" he chuckled again, looking Rayanne up and down. "She looks like she's no older than the Princess! Why, barely of marrying age, I suspect, and already doing the work of a housewife." Reaver teased as leaned against his walking stick. The orange haired man, Hatch, chuckled softly as Reaver patted Rayanne on the head. "You may not know it, my dear, but you are in the presence of the great Reaver. I will be attending tonight's banquet and I've come to see if the King needs any of my…guidance."

Gulping softly Rayanne tried to excuse herself, but found herself being stopped by the walking stick blocking her way. "What's the rush, my pet?" Reaver chuckled, his walking sticking across Rayanne's stomach. "You know, a homely little thing like you should be honored that I'm even giving you the time of day. For a second, before you started talking, I could have sworn you were the Princess. You two look alike from a distance. It wasn't until you unceremoniously bumped into me and started babbling that I realized Princess Robin hasn't worn black since her mother's funeral years ago. I was a personal friend of her Late Majesty, but I kept my distance out of respect. Ahh, my eyesight isn't what it used to be."

His own statement seemed to strike a chord as his dusted his vest off. "Hatch, when we get back to Lakeview, see if anything…unusual has popped up around the house. It seems to return during the most inconvenient of times." Reaver commanded, as Hatch took out a clipboard and nodded as he wrote. Rayanne wasn't sure what this "It" Reaver was referring to and decided to leave while he was distracted.

She had only talked to him for a moment, but Rayanne had already decided she didn't like this Mr. Reaver. She decided to stay more mindful than usual.

Rayanne could hear the echoes of the Seer in her mind as she came down the main staircase. The other servants were already finished and leaving the immediate area as the Nobles were to start arriving soon. She knew she needed to make herself scarce until it was time for the servants to start cleaning up after the party. She felt a hand grab her shoulder as she made her way to the kitchen. "Excuse me!" shouted a panicked delivery boy.

"Yes?" Rayanne asked, with a bow.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Little Maid, but if the King finds out I'm late delivering this package, he'll have me head!" the delivery boy slurred. "If he finds you with it, could you tell him it was delivered a few hours ago and you just recently found it by the door?" The delivery boy handed Rayanne a handful of gold coins. "It goes to the Princess's chambers. It's her dress for tonight's big event. King Logan had it sent to the tailor's to have it refitted with the Princess's new measurements. Va-va-va-voom, if you ask me." the Delivery Boy blushed. Rayanne cocked an eyebrow and just stared at the flustering delivery boy. He cleared his throat and tipped his hat to her before running off. "The shoes and other accessories should be in there too!"

Rayanne put the gold coins in her apron pocket and walked toward the garden with the box. Though dealing with the Princess was normally Jasper's job, she figured he'd probably be roaming around wondering where the dress is anyway. As she walked through the kitchen and out to the garden, where all the gardeners were hard at work, Rayanne giggled softly at the idea of poor old Jasper, pacing a hole in the Princess's bedroom waiting for the dress. That old man certainly knew how to work himself into frenzy over the most trivial of things.

She nodded to the guards who greeted her as she made her way to the Princess's suite. Why it was separated from the rest of the castle was beyond Rayanne's comprehension. Though, it had a lovely view of the garden and it seemed to get the best light, unlike the King's suite, which was always dark for some reason. She hadn't been in King Logan's room since she last cleaned it a year and a half ago. King Logan forbad anyone that wasn't him from being in his room at any given time. She assumed only Jasper was allowed in there now.

Rayanne straightened herself out and kicked softly on the door. Rayanne waited patiently but didn't expect to be yanked into the room by the Princess herself. Princess Robin slammed the door and locked it. "Were you followed?" she asked as if she were in a hurry. Not sure what to say, Rayanne shook her head. "Good, then this can actually work!"

Watching Princess Robin take the box and open it hastily, Rayanne didn't seem to know how to react. Princess Robin pulled out the dress and walked over to Rayanne, holding it in front of her. "Ummm, your highness…?" she murmured being shushed by the Princess.

"Strip down to your dress slip." The Princess demanded.

Rayanne blushed softly and just stared at the Princess, who had already started disrobing. "Eh…excuse me, Princess?" Rayanne stammered.

"Strip down to your dress slip!" the Princess demanded again. Rayanne gulped softly and did as she was told until she was standing in nothing but her striped stockings and dress slip. "You don't know how relieved I was when I heard Miss Marigold tell Jasper that you were almost the spitting image of me, save for being taller and having longer hair. I knew I had found a way to get out of going to my brother's banquet!" Princess Robin shouted excitedly. Rayanne just blinked as the Princess grabbed Rayanne's uniform and started to slip it on.

"Umm, your highness, what is going on?" Rayanne chirped as the Princess handed her the dress.

Princess Robin smiled softly and told Rayanne to sit down at the vanity. "I would have asked before, but I couldn't get any time away from my brother, but Rayanne…that is your name, right? Everyone keeps calling you 'Little Maid', I wasn't sure if you even had a name."

Not showing she was somewhat offended, Rayanne nodded. "Good. I know we don't see each other much, but if this goes off without a hitch, I'm going to throw a special request that you become my new attendant instead of that stuffy Jasper. I need to know you'll do this for me."

Knowing she didn't have much of a choice, Rayanne didn't get a chance to respond as the Princess started fixing her up. "You know, I don't have many friends outside of the castle. I heard the regular servants were getting the night off to go into Bowerstone while the party was going on. I hate leaving poor Elliot to those dogs, but I can't sit through another stuffy charity event. You and I could be very good friends if this works, Rayanne. The only link to the outside world I have is Elliot, and even then I know he's just sugar coating everything for me. Doesn't want to upset his beloved Princess, I suppose."

Rayanne didn't think it was possible, but she actually started feeling bad for Princess Robin. Luxury was a fleeting idea to Rayanne. All she ever wanted was to be comfortable. The Princess could have whatever she wanted, but the look of desperation for human contact, other than her brother or her attendant or Elliot, made her seem more human.

"I bet you and the other Little Maids envy me, don't you?" murmured Princess Robin as she started tugging at Rayanne's hair. "Trust me, I'd much rather be doing something else than attending these parties. I've only left the castle grounds three times in my life. Yes, I can actually count how many times I've left the castle on one hand. All of them were to join my brother at the library in Brightwall. It was nice to get out of the castle, but that was so many years ago. I barely remember it. You get to go anywhere unescorted while I have that stuffy Jasper toadying after me. Most of the time, I feel like a prisoner wearing silk. People often say they wish they had it as easy as I do, and maybe I do have it easy…but sometimes, I look over the garden wall at the people in the city and think they have it much better."

The Princess looked like she was holding back some painful tears as she continued to put Rayanne's hair in an elaborate bun. Rayanne wasn't sure what to say. How could she feel sorry for Princess Robin? Rayanne felt the Princess put a few pins in her hair and then start to powder her face. "My brother…I can sense pain within him. He's become something I barely recognize and it scares me." The make-up job took less time than the hair job, but as detailed as it was, Rayanne felt it could have taken longer. "Everyone knows I tend to go toward the more natural look, but your skin is a bit lighter than mine, so I had to darken the shade a bit."

Princess Robin reached into the box and pulled out a mask. "For once, I'm glad that insufferable Reaver talked my brother into something, because this ball is a masquerade." Princess Robin giggled, placing the mask over Rayanne's eyes. Rayanne took the mask off for a moment and stared at the Princess, who helped her into the elegant dress. Rayanne had never felt fabric this fine before. The dress was pink and the long sleeves flowed out at the elbow. Along the bust line, a red ribbon formed a bow at the center. The dress was slightly puffy but surprisingly easy to move around in. Princess Robin put some gloves on Rayanne's hands and turned her to the mirrors. "Yes…one last detail…"

Running to a jeweled box near her bed, Princess Robin opened it slowly and pulled out something shiny. "The final touch…it was a gift from my brother before he became a stranger to me. He said it belonged to our mother and it was a gift from our father to her. Not as elegant as the Royal Crown my brother will be wearing, but it's still very special."

Before Rayanne could object, Princess Robin placed the elegant golden tiara on her head. Rayanne stared at the tiara as Princess Robin tied the sash of the dress to tighten it and helped her into the red shoes she was to wear that night. "Now…the illusion is complete…" whispered the Princess as she slipped the mask of Rayanne's eyes.

"But, my Princess…" Rayanne chirped.

"Please, call me Robin. You're about to be impersonating me, I think we need to be on a first name basis." Princess Robin giggled as she finished dressing herself in Rayanne's maid uniform.

Rayanne couldn't get herself to call the Princess by her name. "My Princess, what am I to do at this banquet?" asked Rayanne.

"Just blend in. That's all I ever do. Logan insists I come to these things, but I usually just stand there and try to keep myself from dying of boredom. Usually Elliot keeps me company, but as a Noble's son, he'll probably have to mingle for a bit before he can actually do anything. If anything, just stay for an hour and then tell Logan you're tired. That usually gets me out early. He won't expect you to mingle, as most of the people there will only be there to try and impress him." Princess Robin started putting her hair in a braid.

The Princess could sense the panic going through Rayanne and tried to comfort her. "We'll meet in the hallway outside of the throne room an hour after the party begins and we'll switch back then. If you can't find me there, I'll leave your uniform in my bedroom. So, don't worry. I have to leave my room with you so the guards will think it's really me going to the party in that dress. Once they leave to change shifts, which should be soon, I'll come back to my room and change into something else so I can slip out unnoticed and hopefully be back before anyone notices something's amiss."

Princess Robin pushed Rayanne toward her chamber doors and brushed her off one more time. "Remember, think Princess!" she said excitedly as she opened the chamber doors. As Rayanne walked by, the guards saluted her with "All is well, your highness?" and "Good evening, my Princess!" Rayanne nodded to them, as she would any other day. The illusion seemed to be working. It was then Jasper, panicking as always, came up the stairs and grabbed Rayanne's wrist. Princess Robin put her hand over her face and kept walking. If there was anyone that would recognize her, it was Jasper.

"There you are! And the dress did indeed arrive!" Jasper gasped happily. He cocked his head to the side and sighed. "You've put on a little weight. I told you not to eat so many sweet rolls. That's exactly why we have to keep sending your dresses in." Rayanne again didn't know whether or not to be offended. "Well, come along, your brother is waiting!"

Rayanne found herself being tugged along toward the throne room, where Logan was waiting anxiously. "Good, you found her." He exclaimed, motioning to the small but elegant chair next to his throne. Jasper patted Rayanne down and smiled with a nod as he took his position. Sir Walter looked at Rayanne and gave her a suspicious look. Rayanne felt she wasn't fooling anyone, but people didn't seem to notice the Princess was all of a sudden an inch taller than she usually is.

She'd be lying if she denied how handsome King Logan looked this night. He was dressed in his blue formal wear and had the crown of Albion nestled on his head. He didn't look sleep deprived, like he usually did but he still had his air of pomposity and paranoia about him.

Obviously nervous, Walter looked down at the "Princess" and placed his massive hand on her shoulder. "Are you not feeling well tonight, Robin?" he asked. Rayanne remembered that only Sir Walter and King Logan called the Princess by her name. Rayanne shivered and nodded as Sir Walter put his mask over his face.

Rayanne sat through every Noble being introduced to the King and though she had calmed down, she kept looking over at the grandfather clock by the door that the king proclaimed would never be opened by order of his departed mother. Logan glanced over at the "Princess" when she wasn't looking and glared at her. He could sense something was wrong, but looked up when Sir Walter introduced Reaver, who sashayed his way into the throne room.

_Oh, no…_ Rayanne panicked in her mind. She should have known better than to think Reaver, being known for his exploits, would miss a party being thrown at the castle.

"Well, well, what a lovely crowd we have here tonight!" Reaver shouted, his poor attendant, Hatch, trying to hide his blushing, embarrassed face. "Well, what are we all waiting for? Let's get this party going, shall we?"

Logan rubbed his eyes in frustration and stood up, straightening himself out. "Yes, by all means, let's commence the celebrations." He murmured, looking over at the "Princess". Rayanne gulped softly and stayed seated as Walter walked up to her.

"Are you feeling well tonight, Robin? Do you want me to escort you back to your room?" he asked, softly. Rayanne started nodding feverishly and reached for Walter, only to be stopped by Logan.

"She looks well enough to me, Sir Walter. I know these things are boring, 'sister', but please try to mingle a bit. Eating something will settle your stomach. Walter, see that she eats. If she's not feeling well in an hour, escort her back to her chambers." Logan looked suspiciously at Rayanne, but went off to mingle. Rayanne stood there, shaking in her elegant disguise.

Walter sighed and helped "Princess Robin" over to the buffet table on the other side of the throne room, where some people were already getting themselves something to eat. "Your brother means well, Robin, don't hold it against him. His reign hasn't been an easy one. He's had some pretty big shoes to fill. Not saying your mother had big feet, but…you know what I mean." Walter chuckled a bit and made a plate for her. "Though, he's been acting quite strangely since he returned last year from that voyage. He refuses to talk about it. He also usually brings you back something. It was quite odd how your brother just stormed into the castle like that, wasn't it?"

Rayanne didn't say anything as Walter handed her a plate of sweets. Usually, whenever the Royal Family had a banquet, the servants would scrounge for the leftovers. Rayanne had never had a fresh sweet roll before and she liked the way it tasted. Walter smiled as she happily walked away with her sweet roll. She stopped abruptly when she almost walked into a guard. "Oh, excuse me, my…" Trent looked down at the "Princess" nibbling happily on the sweet roll and his eyes widened. "…Rayanne?" he whispered, motioning her to go behind a pillar.

Trent, after making sure no one was around to see them sneak behind the pillar, stared at Rayanne, trying to make heads or tails of what she was doing in the Princess's dress at this particular party. "What do you think you're doing?" he whispered angrily.

"You can tell it's me?" she whispered back.

Trent sighed softly. "These Noble idiots may not know the Princess from a picture, but I think I know you well enough to know you're going to be in a heap of trouble if the King finds out." Trent warned. Rayanne finished her sweet roll and that's when her stomach started to turn.

"I didn't want to do this. Princess Robin made me. She's probably prancing around right now in town while I have to keep up appearances. So far, only you have noticed." Rayanne looked incredibly nervous. She wasn't used to this kind of adventure. She would have been just as happy sitting in the kitchen with the regular servants waiting to take the decorations down, just like every year. "I didn't want to refuse the Princess, so I kind of just went along with it. So far…no one has noticed. She told me to meet her in an hour, but King Logan wants me to stay. Do you think you can keep him distracted in an hour so I can slip out?"

Trent looked nervous. If anyone knew about this, they'd both be in a lot of trouble. Rayanne looked as uncomfortable about this as Trent did, if not more considering she was the one parading around unwillingly as the Princess of Albion. Trent sighed and took off his hat, revealing his dark brown (almost black) hair. He scratched his head and put his hat back on. "Alright, fine. But try not to get caught up in something like this again. I already had to send those other two maids out because they wanted to crash the party."

_Of course, Abigail and Beatrice would want to be here. Reaver's here!_ Rayanne thought as she straightened herself out. As she finished fixing herself up, she could feel Trent eying her up and down.

"You know, you clean up pretty well." He whispered with a blush. Rayanne blushed as well. "If you're not busy…maybe on your next night off, do you…maybe…" Trent rubbed the back of his head, trying to find the words and make them come out.

"…maybe what?" Rayanne asked, blushing through her make-up.

"…maybe, want to go out with me…to…dinner in town?" Trent finished, blushing and clearing his throat. Rayanne blushed and smiled softly. "I know the owner of that new bistro by the entrance to the city and he said he could get us a good table if I ever…"

"If you ever what?" Rayanne asked, not realizing someone was watching her conversation with Trent from afar.

Trent cleared his throat again. "…if I ever got up enough courage to ask you to dinner…" he murmured, somewhat embarrassed. Rayanne giggled softly. This is the happiest he had ever seen Rayanne and it made Trent smile as well. "So, what do you say, 'Princess'?" he chuckled.

Before Rayanne could give him a response, she felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Princess, why are you hiding behind this pillar with this…" Reaver looked Trent up and down and chuckled. "…this guard? Wouldn't you be much happier out dancing?"

Before she could say anything, Rayanne found herself being whisked away by the man known as Reaver. She has heard of him and met him earlier, but never thought much of him. While his attendant was stuffing his face at the buffet, Reaver twirled Rayanne around. She wondered if he knew she wasn't really the Princess. Reaver was known for his astuteness (among other things) and he seemed to read the "Princess" like a book. Soon, the band started playing a tango beat, which Reaver looked like he was waiting for.

"I always imagined you'd be lighter on your feet, dear Princess." said Reaver, as he yanked Rayanne around. She said nothing, but couldn't stop staring into his eyes. She could have sworn they seemed to change color to fit his mood. Oh, how Rayanne wished she could read his mood. The tango was like a march, and Rayanne couldn't keep up. "Don't feel bad, Princess, I do tend to go too fast for my dance partners."

Rayanne felt the acidic compliments as they bounced around in her mind. To Rayanne, this man was a snake and he was trying his hardest to slither into the lives of the Royal Family. From what Rayanne understood, he always controlled most of Bowerstone Industrial. Was that not enough for him?

"My dear Princess, please do keep up. Wouldn't want your brother to look bad, now would we?" he hissed in a horrible seductive way as his hands started creeping down Rayanne's backside. "You know, you're just about of marrying age, aren't you?" Reaver hissed as he pinched Rayanne's behind. She blushed deeply. "You know, waiting until marriage is so old fashioned, my dear Princess." Reaver twirled Rayanne and then grasped her tightly, not letting her go despite her struggle. "…if you want to get some wedding night practice in, I wouldn't mind showing you a few…" something obscene of Reaver's poked Rayanne's leg, and she was sure it wasn't his walking stick. "…pointers…" he chuckled evilly.

Rayanne gasped loudly and did something she never expected from herself. Without hesitation, Rayanne smacked Reaver, getting everyone's attention. Everyone was staring at her now. Trent started getting his weapon ready, hoping he'd be given permission to escort Reaver out. Reaver grimaced at the girl and growled. "Why you insolent little…" before he could do anything, Sir Walter had Trent and the other guards escort Reaver out of the banquet.

"No one assaults the Princess on my watch, Reaver! Get him out of here!" Sir Walter shouted as the guards led Reaver out. Hatch, with food still in his mouth and hands, bowed apologetically and ran after his master. "Are you alright, Robin?" Walter whispered as Rayanne straightened herself out. Rayanne nodded and fixed her mask. She sniffled a bit and left the throne room in haste as the music started back up.

Trent walked back in with the other guards and watched Rayanne sit on the middle step, trying not to cry. "I think I see what she was talking about, earlier." She whispered as Trent helped her up.

"I think it's time you became Rayanne again." Trent whispered as he escorted her toward the garden. "I'll tell Sir Walter you went up to bed. I'm sure he and the King will understand." Rayanne sighed and took off her mask as they left the castle. "You know…" Trent murmured as they entered the garden. "…you didn't tell me whether or not you wanted to accompany me on your next night off."

With a giggle, Rayanne took Trent's hand and smiled. "I…I'd love to, Trent. I'll let you know when I have a night off." Rayanne said through her embarrassed tears. Making sure no guards were around, Trent waved to Rayanne as she made her way up to the Princess's chambers. She felt a rain drop hit her hand and she looked up. "That's odd…I don't remember hearing of a storm." Rayanne sighed as she made her way to the Princess's room.

The plan was for her to sneak in, change back into her uniform, and then make her way back to her room before anyone noticed. She had no idea where the Princess was, but that would soon be the least of her worries. As Rayanne slowly opened the chamber door, she was met by darkness and a barely lit fireplace. Rayanne closed the door behind her quietly as the rain outside started pouring. She saw a flickering shadow on the wall that she presumed was the princess. "Princess Robin? Are you here? I can see why…"

Rayanne turned around and much to her horror, there was King Logan, standing at the foot of his sister's bed as the lightning cracked outside. Robin was nowhere to be found, but there stood the King, still in his formal clothes, though the crown was gone. He had his arms behind his back and the fireplace made the shadows on his face make him more sinister.

"You and my sister must think me some complete fool, Little Maid." King Logan growled as Rayanne stepped back. "Did you think I wouldn't know my own sister from a maid?" Logan approached Rayanne and yanked the tiara off her head, throwing it to the floor. "I sent out my personal elites to find my sister and I decided I'd meet you personally. You have no idea how much trouble you are in. And I thought you different from those two troublesome maids that tried to crash my banquet."

Rayanne backed into the door. All of a sudden, the Seer's voice echoed through her like a cave. Logan stepped forward, glancing down at Rayanne. He grabbed her chin with his fingers and stared deep into her eyes. "But I don't think I should punish you…in fact, I should thank you." He murmured, not letting go of her face. Rayanne didn't understand. She knew by now he should have called the guards to have her hauled off to the dungeons and to her doom. But instead, King Logan's grimace turned placid.

"A maid was the only person to give me an honest response when I asked for an honest answer." He murmured.

"I was…only doing what you asked, My King…" Rayanne murmured back.

"…exactly!" shouted Logan, as he pulled Rayanne into a passionate kiss. Rayanne's eyes jutted open as King Logan's tongue entered her soft lips and met her tongue. Rayanne knew that refusing the King what he wanted would result in bad things. She let him, but she refused to enjoy it. She refused to give the Seer that satisfaction. He let go of her and grabbed her wrists, pulling her close. "Obedience, Little Maid…" he whispered into her neck as he nibbled at her skin and took in her smell. "You were trained at a young age to be obedient. You answer to the Royal Family without question, as you were meant to. I must say Miss Marigold's training paid off a little too well in your case."

Logan stared daggers at Rayanne, who didn't blink. The only thing going through her mind was the Seer's proclamation. Rayanne had to prove her wrong. "When I asked you to answer me honestly, you did, and without question. You said you look upon me as a man, and as a man, I would have certain desires that a maid, such as yourself, would be obliged to fulfill, am I correct?" Rayanne didn't speak, only nodded. "My sister turns away from me when I go to her needing an honest ear. I've heard her tell that…_boy_ she prances around with that she doesn't see me as her brother anymore…but as a stranger. A stranger who keeps her locked up in silk and gold in his palace!"

Rayanne wanted to fight, but Logan's grip stayed strong. "…but not you, Little Maid…you don't see me as King, which is odd for servants. You were trained to see me as your better, but instead you see me as a man. If I was a regular man on the street, you wouldn't bat an eyelash at me, would you?"

His grip tightened. "ANSWER ME!" he shouted, pulling her toward the bed.

"I would see you as another. Another soul who is just trying to live!" Rayanne blurted out. Logan threw Rayanne on the Princess's bed and ripped off the dress. Rayanne wanted to struggle, but found herself giving in. While the Princess's dress lay torn on the floor, King Logan gracefully took off his formal attire and stood before the maid in all his glory. Rayanne blushed and gasped softly, her hand over her mouth.

"Continue…" hissed the King, as he approached the panicking maid.

"You are a man…a crown and fine furs make you king, but underneath it, you are a man yearning for equal treatment…you yearn for affection from a girl you swore to protect that no longer sees you as her brother, but you wish to prove to her that you are indeed still her beloved brother…" Rayanne tried to keep her tears down as the King laid himself on top of her. "Please…don't do this, my king…" she whimpered.

King Logan approached her, ripping off her dress slip, leaving her only in her stockings. Rayanne tried to cover herself but he forced her arms open. "I may be a man, but I am still your king, Little Maid…" Rayanne felt his fingers against her nether region, like two spies from an opposing land. They inspected her, felt her, and soon they knew her. Rayanne moaned softly as the two fingers massaged her softly. Logan at this point was lying flat on top of her, taking in her scent.

Logan knew she was trying to refuse him, and he wouldn't have it. He would not be turned away from the only person who obeyed him unquestioningly without ulterior motives. The two spies found their way to her soft peaks and began to feel around in a land unfamiliar, yet very much desired. Rayanne tried to keep her moans down, trying to make him think she wasn't enjoying it. But she was. And he knew she was. Soon, his two spies were joined by an army, attacking and ravaging her body, claiming it. His fingers made her body ache softly, the mounds his invaders conquer soon surrendered to his touch and she whimpered softly. Logan then knew he had her; body and soul. All that stood in the way was the gate. Logan kissed her passionately again.

Rayanne couldn't control her own warmth and she was unintentionally ready for him. "…and as your King, you are entitled to give me what I desire most. As a man, I have needs that must be desired, but as a King, I can command it. I want no whore nor do I desire false love…I want…OBIDIENCE!"

With that, King Logan broke through Rayanne's nether gate with such force, tears streamed down her cheeks. Logan embraced her tightly as he entered her completely. Rayanne wanted to scream, but with every thrust, she felt herself become accustomed to him. This was something she had never felt before and it was enticing. Part of her wanted desperately to refuse, but the more she tried, the more she found herself giving in, wanting more of the King.

_No, this is wrong!_ She shouted in her head. _What he's doing is wrong! But…why can't I stop it? Is it because he is king?_

King Logan forced Rayanne down more as she attempted to refuse him again. "I…I am your king…" he whispered forcefully into her ear as he tore away any shred of purity Rayanne had left. "Say it!" he shouted in between thrusts of pure pent up rage and passion.

"You…you are my king…" Rayanne whimpered, trying her hardest not to show she was slowly starting to enjoy it.

"I own you, body and soul…say it!"

"I am yours…body and soul…"

"Anything I desire from you, I will take and you will give without question…"

"Yes…"

"As a maid, you serve the Royal Family…as a woman, you serve only me…"

"Y…yes…."

"…when I call upon you, you will answer without hesitation…ugh…and you will give me what I ask for…ugh…without hesitation…ahh…without thinking twice and without limit…"

That did it.

"Y…Y…YESSS!"

"Say…it….!"

"Y…Y…YES MY KING!"

It wasn't known who climaxed first.

Rayanne would debate this with herself for years. He had conquered her in his sister's bed. She felt his conquest drain from her nether region as he left her, along with the last line of defense her hold had against his invading force. Rayanne lay there, feeling spent and used. Logan relished in this. He stared down at her as he had gotten dressed and smiled. "I will call upon you again, Little Maid…" and with that, he left the room and closed the door softly.

Her body ached. She could only breathe as the echoes of the Seer's words bounced around in her head like a ball. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before the thunder roared nearby and she heard panicked footsteps rush into the room. "Rayanne!" shouted Trent as he ran to her. Trent lifting her up and putting his uniform coat around her was the last thing Rayanne recalled before she blacked out. Rayanne wasn't sure how he knew she was still there or what had happened. She could feel him lift her up and rush her out of that room and then complete darkness.

Rayanne never entered that room again for her entire tenure at the palace. She didn't need it to be reminded of the night she swore more than just her loyalty to the King of Albion. When she awoke hours later in horrible pain, she saw her uniform folded on a chair next to her bed in the room she shared with two other maids in the servant's quarters. By the candle on her dresser and the position of the moon outside, Rayanne guessed it was pretty late. The only thing she was wearing was Trent's uniform jacket. She made a mental note to return it to him.

She wanted to blame the Princess for this, but her loyalty to the Royal Family forbade her. She would stay in bed for the next few days, both sick and ashamed. Miss Marigold didn't say anything to Rayanne, but they both knew what happened. Miss Marigold tended to her tenderly and shooed off the other maids whenever they came to ask what had happened. Rumors were already getting started and Trent could hear them on his patrols. He found it hard to look both the King and the Princess in the eye.

Princess Robin only knew scant details, but knew an incident happened in her room involving a maid. Logan didn't tell anyone it was his doing, even as he had a new bed brought in for his sister and ordered the old one burned, except for the sheets. "Evidence" he called it as he had the Princess's chambers cleaned and redecorated from top to bottom.

_You, Rayanne, will become his plaything…_

Rayanne eventually would begin her duties again, but she stayed quiet. Abigail and Beatrice ignored her for the most part, but Rayanne knew their teasing would start again eventually. Trent didn't want to upset Rayanne, so he only went about nodding to her whenever he saw her on his patrols.

…_a tainted, broken toy…_

Soon, things eventually lulled back to normal, but Rayanne felt often the lore of the King. Luckily, he had been busy lately and she hadn't seen him since the incident. He had left the castle a day or so after the incident and left Sir Walter in charge. He had "important business" to tend to somewhere in Albion. Even though he wasn't there, Rayanne felt his presence whenever she cleaned near his chambers and her nethers ached whenever someone mentioned the King.

Rayanne knew, even though talk of "the Incident" had passed, her time serving the King would be long and it was proven when an unmarked box came for her. She took it to her room in the servant's quarters, a room she shared with a few other maids. When she knew she was alone, she opened the box and found a cut out of a silk fabric. It was pure white, except for the red strain which she knew came from her.

…_you will suffer personal torment that will last for years…_

Rayanne cried soft little tears and clutched the fabric tightly. She told herself it wouldn't happen again. If he called upon her, she wouldn't go. She'd send someone else. Yes, that was it. She'd send someone else and then he'd have another plaything. She wouldn't be his personal concubine. No, no, she wouldn't. But how long will that last until he comes to find her personally? Rayanne felt her spirits drop as she hid the fabric away and left her room. She heard snickering coming from the doorway leading to the garden from the servant's quarters.

"I bet Trent is pretty heartbroken that he couldn't be your first." chuckled Abigail as she and Beatrice left the servant's quarters. Rayanne eventually left the servant's quarters and was met by a flower being held by Trent. He smiled as she accepted it and went back to his patrols.

…_beget a great reward…_

Sniffing the flower, Rayanne straightened herself out and placed it behind her ear. She decided to be ready, no matter what happened. She still shied away from most of the Nobles and loyally did her duties, but in a way, Rayanne felt like a new woman. She felt like something deep within had been unleashed.

But deep down, she knew it wouldn't be easy to control…or whether she had control over it or not…

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha, my doves!<strong>

**Well, I don't know what came over me, but I just had to write this! Some kind of stirring within…*cough cough* Well, either way it's here and I feel a bit exhausted from it. *nibbles the tips of her fingers* so…umm, how's things with you guys? Heh…heh…**

**Okay, so smut is smut, am I right? Like I said, this is an experiment and as experiments go…I'm still blushing a bit. I guess it needed to be written, huh? Can't stop the muse, I guess. I should probably get back to my other story now…umm…**

***blush blush blush* review and be merry, my doves. Please, I implore you, tell me how I did so I can…umm…*deep red blush* continue…**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	4. A Strange Courtship

_A Maid's Story_

A Strange Courtship

_The Journalist sat there, unsure of what to actually write. He could NEVER print what she just told him, so he made a mental note to edit it later. Either way, this was gold what she was telling him. "I don't think the people of Albion realized what a troubled soul King Logan was." The Journalist mentioned as he reached for another pen._

_The Old Lady looked at him slowly. "I wouldn't use the word 'troubled' but whatever floats your boat, dear." She murmured, placing her hands on her lap. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and smiled. "It's just about sun down, which means Liam will be done at the general store soon. We'd better hurry this along before he gets home. If he sees you here, he's liable to pitch a fuss." She chuckled._

"_I'm sure your son has only your best interests in mind." said the Journalist._

"_Oh, that's true. Ever since my husband died a few years back, Liam seems to think he needs to keep an eye on me. I helped my husband run that general store when we came here years ago and I remember my son playing in there like it was his personal playground. Scaring customers, knocking things down, as children do, I suppose." The Old Lady sighed softly and stared out the window, as if dreading the sun going down. The Journalist didn't want to dive deeper into it, but something told him to._

_The Journalist cleared his throat. "Is Liam your only child, Ma'am?" he asked finally after a long silence. _

_The Old Lady nodded sadly. "Complications from his birth made me unable to have more children. Not that we needed anymore, he was quite a handful himself! Oh, we ran ourselves ragged trying to keep that boy out of trouble, but we loved him so. My husband and I were very happy that Liam was a healthy boy. He and Liam were very close and I know Liam misses him, probably more than I do. One of Liam's favorite things was every year, my husband would take Liam to Bowerstone during one of his business excursions and Liam just loved it. I opted to stay behind for reasons I'll get to soon enough."_

_Nodding softly, the Journalist flipped to another page in his notebook._

* * *

><p>Things calmed down for the servants of Bowerstone Castle as the seasons changed. Autumn came around and the long sleeves came along with it. Rayanne felt the change of seasons would be good for her. Though the gossip had stopped long ago, Rayanne still felt haunted by what everyone called "The Incident". Everyone knew what had happened to her. One doesn't see a guard carry a naked maid from the Princess's Chambers and not notify everyone else in existence.<p>

Luckily for Rayanne, Miss Marigold stayed close to her, defending her and dispelling any rumors that came flying her way. Rayanne had a feeling Miss Marigold knew the truth even though Rayanne refused to tell anyone who the true culprit of "The Incident" was. She doubted anyone would believe the King of Albion, of all people, who need to do such a horrific thing to a maid when he could have any woman he wanted. The guards were forced to close the case when Rayanne refused to say anymore. Trent didn't want to let it go, but felt he could do no more.

After "The Incident", Rayanne didn't see much of King Logan. For that, she was thankful. She could focus on her work and begin to get on with her life. She often saw him in passing, like when she was doing chores near the throne room.

At night, when Rayanne was done with her chores, she often took the piece of cloth with the red stain on it from its hiding place and stared at it. He sent it to her, she knew it. He was taunting her. At least, that's what she thought anyway. But the odd part of the entire incident wasn't the incident itself or the gossip that followed.

Rayanne would sit up at night and wonder why she wasn't more repulsed by what happened. Why didn't she leave the castle and find employment elsewhere? Surely there were rich people in Millfields that needed a maid. She knew how to bake, so she could become a baker's apprentice. She knew how to sew, so going to work at the tailor shop was an option. She had experience tending to the new "Little Maids" whenever new ones came in, so she could be a nanny at the orphanage were she spent her early years.

But she stayed at Bowerstone Castle. Rayanne thought about the incident more than she probably should have and each time she blushed. Maybe she wasn't repulsed by it because she secretly liked it. She thought about the King ravaging her like a wild animal, his hands all over her while he took in her scent. Rayanne felt her nether regions get warmer, forcing her to sooth the uncomfortable feeling when a slow message from her fingers through her panties. Then she thought of his fingers as they slowly nestled into her warm, wet nethers and his kiss…

His kiss was warm and full of pent up passion. When he kissed her it felt like it was reserved only for her. How could Rayanne tell? She wasn't quite sure, but she knew. She gasped softly imagining his warm body on top of her as he pushed himself past her purity and ushered her into a new way of thinking. Her vision became cloudy and she blushed harder.

It was then she realized her panties were moist and it was very late. The two maids she shared her room with were out that night so she had no need to be embarrassed, but she was all the same. Rayanne sat up and started to take off her uniform to change into her night gown.

"Maybe…" she murmured as she slid off her dress slip and pulled her night gown over her head. "…maybe I did enjoy it…" Rayanne shook her head and tried to hide her blushing cheeks from her reflection. "No! No, what he did was wrong!" she shouted as she hid the piece of cloth in its hiding spot (in her diary, under her mattress).

_But if it's so wrong, why do you keep that little memento you know he sent you? _The voice in her head asked.

"I…I don't know. Maybe…as a reminder that he's a trouble man and I need to avoid him." Rayanne stammered as she took her hair out of its braid, letting it flow down her back as she reached for her hair brush. The mirror mimicked her, but to Rayanne, it seemed like it was taunting her.

_Wrong! You keep it because deep down, you know you liked it. You could have fought him off. He may be a king, but he still has that sweet spot that your knee could have hit. Even so, why did you stay? Do you even know why you stayed here? There are plenty of places out there for you to find employment, but you chose to stay here. If I didn't know any better…_

"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!" Rayanne shouted, holding her hands over her ears. "Stop tormenting me! I feel bad enough as it is!"

_Admit it! You liked it! The moment you get a chance, you'd answer if he called for you! You have no choice! You belong to the Royal Family and thus you belong to him!_

Rayanne grabbed her hair brush and threw it at her mirror. She fell to her knees as it shattered to the floor, her reflection in each of the broken shards. The two maids she shared her room with came in not long after that and saw Rayanne on the floor, crying around the broken glass.

More time passed...

Rayanne didn't seem to like the go-go busy-busy nature of all the castle officials as of late. Usually, she ignored the military officials roaming around, but she couldn't deny there were more and more inside the castle each day, making new messes for her and the other maids to clean up. Luckily for her, not many chances to see the King. Rayanne finally thought she had outwitted that Know-it-all Seer and her horrible prophecy. The echoes of the prediction didn't swirl around in her head anymore and now she felt she could get on with her life.

That feeling didn't last long, sadly. The tension in the castle was thick like smoke and Rayanne felt the presence of someone watching her whenever she was doing her chores. She hadn't seen much of Trent lately and hoped to everything that he hadn't been transferred or sent off to train with the Elites. Those were popping up everywhere too. Most of the "Old Guard", as it was called, did nothing but patrol the gardens and keep the peace in the city below the castle. Trent was usually on patrol around the garden while the Elites stayed stationed not far from the king.

That's how Rayanne knew he was near, when the presence of the Elites would increase. It would give her a chance to finish her chores quickly and be on her way. The Elites were more like stone statues than people. Rayanne would pass a few every now and then, but unlike the Old Guard, who nodded, these Elites just stood there. Rayanne wondered if they were even human at all. Sometimes, she'd see the new Little Maids stop and stare at them and point. They'd run away screaming when one would finally move and tell them to move along.

Rayanne found it easy to avoid trouble with the Elites. When there was one Elite in the room while she was cleaning was fine, but when there were at least three, she knew King Logan was on his way to that particular area and it'd give her time to finish quickly and be on her way. This day, however, that wouldn't be the case.

It was like he could sense she was avoiding him. King Logan sat in his war room, wearing a casual (yet still elegant) black ensemble, trying to do his work. He sighed angrily. One Elite came into the room as Logan was just finishing some paperwork. He stood in attention to his King as Logan stood from his chair. While Rayanne had hoped that Logan didn't notice she was avoiding him, he did indeed notice and he wasn't happy. "I know it sounds trivial, but I need you to go find a maid for me. Not just any maid, her name is Rayanne and I wish to speak with her personally." Logan murmured. The Elite nodded his salute and left the room.

Less than a few minutes later, the same Elite and about three of his cohorts dragged the confused Rayanne (still carrying the rag she was wiping down a front hall window with) into the War Room. "Leave us." commanded Logan, throwing his hand in the air in dismissal. The Elites saluted and left the room, closing and locking it. Rayanne stood before him once again, twisting her semi-wet rag nervously. The room was dark, despite the sunlight fighting to come through the drawn curtains. Rayanne stood before the man that forced himself on her and took her precious purity.

"You've been avoiding me, Little Maid…" he murmured, staring at the table map of Albion. "Don't think I didn't notice. Granted, the presence of my personal guard coming in before me gives one ample opportunity to flee, I was hoping you wouldn't turn away from me."

Rayanne watched as he looked up, his eyes stabbing her very soul, making her heart quake. "If…if I have offended you, my king, I apologize. I am just doing my duties with haste in mind. I have been buggered down with more chores than usual and I don't have as much help as I used to." Rayanne rubbed her arm softly. "Miss Marigold is busy with the new Little Maids and I've been left to do everything else. Not that this is by any means Miss Marigold's fault, sir!"

Logan scratched his chin and nodded. "Yes, Miss Marigold often does keep herself busy with the newer servants this time of year. Autumn is the season of change they say. Now you have a reason to wear long sleeves without people getting suspicious of the bruises underneath…"

Rayanne grabbed her arms defensively. "I know all about it. Do you know how many times a guard or Miss Marigold has sent those two troublemakers to my throne room? The subject of them harassing you has come up more often in accusations against them than any broken piece of pottery or missing trinket." King Logan traced his fingers along the edge of the map table, not taking his glance off the nervous maid. She shivered in her place, trying to contain whatever she was feeling at that moment. "Little Maid, don't be shy around me. We shared something quite special not too long ago; I don't think you have a reason to fear me."

Feeling somewhat insulted by what the King just said, Rayanne wanted to say something, but he wouldn't give her a chance. "Actually, if you'll permit me, Little Maid…I wish to apologize for my conduct that evening. It was most unbecoming of a King."

Rayanne forced herself to look at King Logan. Was he…actually apologizing to a maid? This she had to hear. "I believe…we got our courtship off to the wrong start."

Courtship? _Courtship!_

"You call forcing yourself on me in your sister's bedroom courtship? I call it…well, I don't even want to mention that horrible word, but I sure wouldn't call it courtship!" shouted Rayanne, not realizing what she just did. She covered her mouth with her hands and the rag she still held and backed up. Logan didn't look angry, though his expression didn't change as he traced his fingers along Rayanne's cheek.

"No, I don't. I don't know what I'd call it, but you won't raise your voice to me!" Logan finally shouted, causing Rayanne to trek backward again. "You did, however, make an oath to me that night. As a king, I like to see that each oath made is carried out. But I do believe it's unfair the way I forced it…and myself…on you. You may be a maid, but you deserve much better than that." Logan pressed himself against Rayanne, who was now against the closed door, the door knob almost poking her in the back.

Logan smiled again as he traced his fingers along a loose strand of hair on her cheek. "I will see that you are compensated for this wrong acted against you. I do hope that everything I do to make it right will at least help you see me in a different light. Until then, I am a busy man and I have things I need to tend to. I will call upon you again, Little Maid…" Logan reached down, his lips barely out of reach of Rayanne's. She didn't know whether or not to kiss him, but gods help her, she was fighting the urge with all her might. "It'd be in your best interest not to ignore it."

With that, King Logan left Rayanne standing there, her lips still semi-puckered, as he marched down the hallway. Rayanne just stood there, not sure of what to make of the short conversation. She put her hands over her ears and ran down the hallway as the Seer's prediction rang in her mind again.

The next morning, Rayanne awoke not to Miss Marigold ringing the morning bell to wake up the servants, but too a box being softly dropped on her stomach. Rayanne woke up with a jolt and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She saw Beatrice standing over her bed. It was rare for her to be without Abigail, who was her leader in a sort. "This came for you. It's not marked." Beatrice murmured, leaving Rayanne and her roommates baffled by the package. Alone, Beatrice was pretty unimposing. Usually, like Rayanne, she kept to herself.

No one was sure where Beatrice came from before coming to live at the castle (or if Beatrice was really her name). Like most of the Little Maids, she was picked up by Miss Marigold at the orphanage, but details of her life before then were nil. Beatrice herself only remembers being saved by a guard from the burning remains of a gypsy camp near what was now Westcliff. Anything before that was only a blur with horrifying screams that Beatrice never talked about. This memory repression would later lead to a spiral into madness in her later years that is best left for another story. Beatrice latched on to the only person at the orphanage that showed her any type of friendship. Sadly, this person was Abigail.

Abigail knew where she came from very well. Abigail's story was simple: she was the illegitimate child of a Nobleman's son and a prostitute. Her mother died in childbirth and her father's family refused to recognize the child, and thus poor little Abigail bounced from orphanage to orphanage until eventually landing at the Bowerstone Industrial Orphanage. During her many transitions, Abigail grew a cold personality and decided that if no one loved her, she'll make them or else she didn't need them. Just like the world apparently didn't need her. Somehow, despite her harsh exterior and frigid attitude, she found friendship (or at least a lackey) in Beatrice, the girl found in the smoldering remains of a gypsy camp.

Despite this, Beatrice never really gave Rayanne a second glance unless she was around Abigail. It was rare that the two were ever apart. Beatrice left the room as Rayanne's roommates helped her get the box off of her. Her roommates (Trina and Noelle) watched as Rayanne opened the box, revealing a small jeweled keepsake box with a note attached. It read:

_To Rayanne,_

_A little something precious to store something precious in._

Noelle took the note and looked it over. "It's not signed. Oh, Rayanne! Do you have a secret admirer?" she asked, excitedly. Rayanne didn't respond. Trina took the keepsake box and looked it over. It was locked and had the key taped to the bottom. Rayanne sat there in her nightgown, wondering what to do. She knew who it was from. She knew he had spent a lot of gold to try and win her favor. Rayanne tried to tell herself it wouldn't work and ignored the box when Trina and Noelle left to get dressed for the day.

"He's taunting me…" she murmured softly, hugging her knees. "He says he wants to atone, but he's mocking me. Just like when he sent…" Rayanne's eyes started to tear up as she attempted to get ready for the day.

The castle was abuzz about Rayanne's gift. Even as the King attempted to eat his breakfast with his sister (a rare moment nowadays when he didn't take his meals to his chambers or the war room), the gossip of the servants seemed to reach his ear. He sipped his orange juice and bit into his toast as the maids giggled and conversed while cleaning.

"Did you hear about Rayanne?" one asked another as they served breakfast. Logan perked up a bit, but didn't let them know he was listening. "She got a mysterious package this morning. It wasn't marked and there was no signature on the card that came with it!" the maid giggled as she poured a cup of orange juice and handed it to the Princess. The Princess didn't want them to know she was listening, too.

The maids giggled as they finished serving breakfast and went back to their cleaning. "I bet it's from Trent. You know that guard that patrols near the tomb in the garden. I see the googly-eyes those two always make at each other." The other one whispered. King Logan seemed annoyed by them mentioning Trent. "It's so romantic!"

"I don't think Trent could afford something like that, even if he did save up his wages. One of the Nobles must have the hots for Rayanne! The way Trina described it, it sounds expensive! She said it was real gold and it had jewels on it! What guard can afford jewels? Even so, it's exciting!" the other maid retorted as the two left the dining room. The King and Princess, though pretending not to listen, couldn't help but do so. The Princess giggled softly and bit into her toast.

"It's nice that something good has happened to Rayanne, especially after that horrible incident." Princess Robin murmured as she brought her fork up to her mouth. King Logan only grumbled. "I wonder who her secret admirer is!" Princess Robin looked at her brother, as if expecting him to answer. She'd get no such satisfaction. "Come on, Logan! You have to be a little curious!"

King Logan glanced at his sister only once and then got up. "The personal lives of the help are of no importance to me, Sister." He murmured, straightening his outfit a bit. "And they should be of no importance to you. When you finish breakfast, head down to the library for your studies. After that, Sir Walter will be waiting for you in the training room for our afternoon training. Jasper should have the rest of your schedule after that. I advise you to stay out of other people's business, dear Sister. You might find out some things you don't like."

With that, the King left the dining room, having barely touched his breakfast. Princess Robin played with her eggs over easy and tried not to think about what her brother said. In truth, she felt responsible for what happened to the poor maid, but her brother refused to let her "atone" for anything. He constantly told her she had no control over the incident, but still reprimanded her sneaking out and talking Rayanne into it in the first place. Robin was starting to get a little suspicious about her brother. Whenever she tried to ask for Rayanne, Jasper would appear instead. Every time she went looking for Rayanne, she'd be stopped by someone just conveniently looking for her. When Robin asked for Rayanne to be her attendant, her brother was quick to say no. No reason given, just plan "NO!" and left it at that.

Princess Robin found it unusual how everyone just seemed to pretend nothing happened, especially Logan. She decided to get to the bottom of it, one way or another.

The next few weeks were very odd, and unbeknownst to the castle dwellers, the beginning of a terrible time in Albion's history. To the people of Albion, King Logan, once the very image of class and refined tastes, was slowly turning into a tyrant. The people wouldn't know about it until much later, but everyone in the castle saw it firsthand.

Visitors to the castle noticed the hushed air of the servants, who once giggled with gossip and glee. Rayanne, who was never really the poster child for mirth and happiness anyway, tried to ignore the mounting tension among the castle officials. The presence of the guards, both old and new, increased. Rayanne saw less and less of Trent with each passing day and it was starting to worry her. Though she had never done so before, on this morning, after her morning chores were done, Rayanne went looking for him. She started by asking some of the guards posted around the garden.

"Trent? Nope, I haven't seen him lately, Little Maid. Might try in the castle proper." said one of the guards she asked. Rayanne huffed softly and started walking toward the castle when she was stopped by one of the purple-clad Elites grabbing her shoulder. It was almost impossible for these men to be gentle.

"Rayanne?" he asked, as if angry. Rayanne nodded softly as a box was shoved in her arms. "This came for you. I'm not a bloody errand boy, but no one else was willing to do it." With that, the Elite marched off. Rayanne was trying extra hard to stay out of the Elite's way. Rumors among the servants of disappearances and harsh punishments spread like the plague and Rayanne would prefer not to be the next one ushered off. Paranoia stalked the halls of the castle. One couldn't take one step without a guard eying them down like they just stole something.

This box was small and wrapped in simple brown paper. Rayanne unwrapped her gift where she stood. The brown paper revealed not a box, but a leather-bound book with her name engraved in gold ink on the cover. She opened it and saw the pages were blank. It was a journal. A brand new and very fancy journal. She had never seen anything so elegant in her life. Her current journal was an old ratty notebook she had found in the trash outside the bookstore in town.

She sighed and held her gift tightly, running toward the servant's quarters. It seemed like each week, something new popped up for Rayanne. It started with the keepsake box and then even more odd gifts kept coming. Most of the time, they seemed to be things she needed or mentioned wanting offhandedly to another maid. This proved it. She had mentioned, in passing, to Noelle that she was going to need a new journal soon and as if by some divine miracle, Rayanne now held a brand new journal in her arms.

The gifts were getting out of hand. She had started hiding her gifts around her part of the room she shared with Trina and Noelle, but it was getting more difficult. She often made excuses, saying she had ordered these things for herself so no one would ask questions or convinced Trent to tell everyone that he was her secret admirer. It wasn't far from the truth, anyway.

Trent, for his part, was starting to get quite jealous of whoever was sending Rayanne these gifts. He knew he'd never be able to afford anything like what she had been receiving, but was relieved by the fact that she didn't seem impressed by them. Or maybe she was and didn't want him to feel bad. Trent didn't know. Rayanne was considering letting Trent hide these trinkets in his home in Bowerstone so she could at least get a break from answering awkward questions from Trina and Noelle.

Rayanne questioned each guard along the way inside, but sadly none of the guards had seen Trent recently, and Rayanne was starting to get worried. It wasn't until she neared the War Room that she heard his voice. Or rather, the King yelling at him. "…but, my King, I swear…"

Rayanne put her ear to the door, which was cracked slightly. "You're lucky I don't take those two maids seriously, Trent, or you'd be in a lot of trouble with these accusations they put forth. I'll have to have a stern talk with Miss Marigold about those two. But if I get anymore lip out of you, it's off to the Keep. Get out of my sight!" Rayanne could hear King Logan stomping around in the war room as Trent left in a hurry. She ran to the bottom of the stairs, trying not to make it look obvious that she was listening in. Trent looked down as he came around the hall to the stairs and smiled.

"Oh, Rayanne, you have no idea how relieved I am to see you!" Trent announced, not knowing that the King was eavesdropping. "Abigail and Beatrice are causing trouble again, and not just for you." he murmured. "Look, I'm sorry I haven't been around much. They've got me patrolling the city now and I only come back to the castle to check in with my superiors."

Rayanne looked heartbroken. "They seem to be putting you everywhere nowadays, huh?" she murmured back. Trent took Rayanne's hand and smile, placing it on his heart. She blushed softly and smiled. Trent often told her she should smile more and that he made it his personal mission to see that she does. "Well, at least you're out of the castle. Things have been getting tenser around here. I can barely wipe off a table without one of those brutish Elites breathing down my neck."

Trent laughed softly and traced his palm along Rayanne's cheek. Logan watched this and clenched his teeth as Rayanne waved to Trent as he left. Rayanne blushed with her hands on her heart. When she heard somewhere clear their throat behind her, Rayanne turned around quickly. "Forgive me, I won't stand in the way much…" she stopped when she saw the king staring down at her. "…longer…hello, my King…" she murmured as she tried to leave the foyer. Logan stopped her.

"I trust everything is alright, Little Maid…" he whispered. "Your 'friend', Trent, has been accused of being a spy for the rebellion that seems to be forming in the city. Of course, I never take the comments of those two trouble maker maids, Abigail and Beatrice, seriously. But it is my understanding that you have been receiving mysterious packages…"

She stood as still as a statue. "Abigail seemed pretty convinced that someone is sending correspondence to Trent through those packages. How that would work is beyond me. Personally, I think she might be a bit jealous that you are receiving such gifts. Tell me, Little Maid…do you like them?" he asked.

Rayanne said nothing. Logan chuckled softly and kept his eerily calm demeanor. "Whoever is sending them to you must want you to see them in a new light. Wanting you to know he isn't the scary boogeyman they make him out to be."

"I know it's been you sending me those gifts." Rayanne whispered, pulling herself from Logan's gentle grasp. "I know that you're…please forgive me for saying so, my king, but I believe you are taunting me." Rayanne tried to hide her tears.

King Logan only stared at her. "Come to my study tonight after the other maids have gone to bed. Come alone. That is an order. If I don't see you in my study after bed time, I will have my guards drag you there. Let's not make this courtship unpleasant." With that, King Logan walked away.

It frightened Rayanne a lot that he was still calling whatever it was they had a courtship. It wasn't to her. This demented game the King was playing with her was most amusing.

The night bell rang loudly that night, as if it was telling Rayanne that destiny needed to be fulfilled. The last thing she wanted was for her roommates to know about her and the King, so she slipped out right when she was sure they were asleep. She was still in her uniform, as she didn't feel like changing her clothes.

She approached the castle and could swear she heard a piano playing. She followed the music into the castle, past the guards sleeping on duty and sneaking past Sir Walter, who himself was sneaking a midnight snack back to his quarters. The music sounded so flawless, like nothing Rayanne had ever heard before. She wondered if anyone else could hear it, because none of the guards (the awake ones anyway) seemed to acknowledge anything except the crickets outside.

Rayanne tip-toed past another guard or two and found her way to the study, where she quietly opened the doors. Slowly, she walked in and felt the music invite her in and whisper to her to close the doors and lock them, as she always did. Near the freshly lit fireplace by the window sat King Logan; his fingers gliding across the keys of the grand piano as if they weren't touching them at all. Rayanne knew the King was talented in the arts. One does not have the best of everything and not learn how to use them.

She only stood there as the King continued to play the song. The song sounded familiar, but Rayanne couldn't think of it at this moment in time. The tune was so deep and playful, yet passionate and it gave Rayanne a chill down her spine. She had never heard anything so beautiful. "…obedient…you came just like I told you to…" he murmured, not looking up.

"I was only doing as I told, My King." Rayanne retorted, not moving.

King Logan stopped playing the piano and stood up. "I know…" he whispered, turning his head slightly. "…Little Maid, do my gifts not satisfy you? I was under the impression that women liked useless bobbles and shiny bits to show off to their friends. Perhaps I have been out of touch for too long."

Rayanne didn't move from her spot as King Logan walked over to her. "Did you like that song? My mother taught it to me when I was a boy." Logan walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a crystal bottle filled with an unknown liquid. Rayanne guessed it was scotch. "She was a good woman, despite how busy she always was. She was a good queen, I suppose."

Pouring himself some scotch in a small glass from the cabinet, Logan stared at Rayanne. "You never answered me, Little Maid."

Rayanne stared at him for a moment and cleared her throat. "They are…very nice, my King. Thank you." Rayanne bowed to the King, but he stopped her mid bow.

"That doesn't answer my question." He retorted, sitting on a sofa in the corner of the room. "I had heard from one of the other maids that you liked sunflowers, so I had some sent to you the other morning. Did you receive them?" he asked. Rayanne did receive a nice bouquet of flowers a few mornings ago, but by the time she arrived in the foyer to accept them, Abigail and Beatrice had gotten to them first. Suffice to say, their mean spirited teasing left Rayanne with only one flower out of a dozen; and its petals were barely staying on.

Swallowing, Rayanne nodded. "They were very nice, Sire, thank you."

Logan chuckled softly and downed his drink in one gulp. "Then you'll love this…" Logan walked over to a table and opened a small wooden box. "This belonged to my mother and I think you'll like it very much." Logan took out a golden charm bracelet and presented it to Rayanne. She was wondering what exactly he was trying to do. What was he trying to prove to her, putting gold on a servant? Rayanne was sure that he was mocking her now as he slowly put the charm bracelet on her wrist. It had only one charm on it at the moment. It was shaped like a book.

"Don't shy away from me, Little Maid…" he whispered, pulling Rayanne close to him. "I don't know if you're familiar with how courtships work, but let me tell you how this one will work. As I suppose you already assumed, you are to tell no one about this. When the time is right, the public will know. You are to come to my chambers whenever I ask for you. If you do not come, I will have my guards drag you there and it won't be pleasant. I never want to see you without that bracelet on, is that clear?"

Rayanne felt his grip tightening around her. She nodded, hearing the Seer's prophecy in her head again. Rayanne, for her part, decided not to fight it. Destiny was an inevitable thing. She wondered if the Seer could indeed see her prediction coming to life.

"You were the only person to see me as a man and not a king. I think you have earned a special place among my staff. You seem pretty intelligent, and I want your advice. Whenever you can give it to me, as you are more down to earth than my council members. All of them foppish nobles who wouldn't know a hard day's work if there was gold buried on their property. Can you do this…or, I think the better question is…will you do this for me?" Logan began kissing Rayanne's neck as she gasped.

Rayanne's knees became weak and she felt like falling over, but he caught her. Her soft moans were all the answer Logan needed as he pulled the apron strings loose from her uniform. She could feel that he wanted more than just her advice at the moment, and she was in no position to fight it any longer. Rayanne, raised to only obey, was doing just that.

With only the fireplace lighting the room, Rayanne found herself helping him in his efforts to strip her of her uniform. Soon, her uniform, her apron, her dress slip, and her undergarments were on the floor next to Logan's outfit and all she was wearing was the bracelet. Next to something so lavish, her uniform looked horribly shabby but she didn't have time to think about that as Logan caressed and fondled the heaving mounds on her chest. Like an animal in need of nourishment, Logan began to lap at them, making her blush softly as he pushed her slowly down onto the chaise lounge in the corner of the room.

Rayanne didn't want to believe the King of all people was doing these things to her. What was worse, though she resisted somewhat, she was enjoying the attention he gave her. Never in her years as a maid would she have ever believed the King would have given her the time of day. All she had ever known was how to obey orders, and now that was coming back to bite her in the ass. She trembled softly as Logan lifted her hips and began feasting upon her swollen fruit.

_Why…_ she thought, trying her hardest not to like it. _Why do I like it? Why am I letting him do this to me? I should be fighting back, but…_ her thoughts were cut off by the sensation of his hands caressing her hips adding to the immense pleasure she was trying her hardest to resist.

All of a sudden, he stopped and laid on her slowly. He kissed her passionately as he once again invaded her hold. It wasn't as painful as last time, but the pressure made Rayanne groan a bit as he pushed forward. With every soft yet furious pump, Rayanne felt every inch of him invade her, just like last time almost a year ago in the Princess's room. This time was different, and though she'd deny it for years, Rayanne liked it. She stopped resisting and let him have his way.

He was, after all, the King and he was entitled to it. At least, that's what she told herself after he finished and left her laying on the lounge breathing heavily. She didn't know how many times she had climaxed before he had finally done so. The bracelet glistened in the dying embers of the fire place, though Rayanne was too weak to notice how much Logan enjoyed it. "I will call upon you again, Little Maid…"

It wasn't until a good little while after Logan left that Rayanne found the strength to sit up. She hastily got dressed and left the study as soon as she was sure no one was around. Logan, from a darkened doorway, watched Rayanne run off, embarrassed yet somewhat glowing.

The moment she got back to her room, after sneaking past her sleeping roommates, Rayanne took out her new journal and found the urge to write down what happened. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted the relive it in her mind and the best way would be to write it down. Every last dirty, sultry, and horrible detail went into her new journal. She blushed writing it again and she felt her nethers heat up again. Of course, every time she shifted, she felt a little bit of the King leave her nethers and she made a note to take a bath later. Rayanne closed her journal and put it under her mattress and went to get ready for bed.

The next morning, as Rayanne was leaving the servant's quarters, she felt all the eyes of her fellow maids on her. She was hoping no one would notice, but her new bracelet shined too brightly for anyone not to notice. Little whispers got louder when a guard delivered a small blue box to Rayanne as she left the servant's quarters. She opened it slowly, as it was tied delightfully with a pink ribbon. Inside the box, under the cotton stuffing and the parchment packing paper, sat a charm. This one was shaped like a thorny rose.

"Put that in your room and let's get a move one!" shouted Miss Marigold from behind Rayanne. Rayanne stood up straight with a jolt and ran back into the servant's quarters. Miss Marigold hadn't been around much to keep an eye on Rayanne, but she knew deep down something wasn't right. She felt she had seen that bracelet somewhere before but couldn't put her finger on it. Miss Marigold had been in and out of the castle for the last few days and though she usually knew what was going on, something else had her attention nowadays.

Miss Marigold reached into her apron pocket and held a letter of correspondence tightly. She was hoping the gods would forgive her for what she might have to do. If her inklings were correct, and she hoped to everything that they weren't, she'd have to take drastic action.

Not for herself; but to save Rayanne…

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha again, my dears!<strong>

**So, guess who's been busy with this plus is almost finished with the latest chapter of her main project. *points thumbs to self* me, that's who! So, this chapter, huh? I don't know when my next update will be for this story, because the next few days are going to focus on getting other work done. I thought I'd leave you all on this nice little note so I can get my major work done and then set up the preliminaries for the next few stories I have planned. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning anything. Circumstances…at the moment just have my mind in a pretty "intimate" place and it all overflowed into this story.**

***blush* so, what do you all think? How's my little experiment going? Well? Good? Bad? Let me know, Okie? I appreciate all reviews, so please don't hold back. Read, review, and be merry my dirty little pervs!**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	5. Trust Betrayed

_A Maid's Story_

Trust Betrayed

_The Old Lady sighed softly as the Journalist finished writing his notes. "Tell me, do you still have that charm bracelet?" he asked, turning to another page in his notebook. The Old Lady sighed and shook her head as she got up from her chair toward an old jewelry box._

"_No, I'm not sure what happened to it. I guess we lost it in the move thirty years ago. But I do have a few other things the King gave me to win me over. He seemed determined to get me to him voluntarily." The Old Lady sat the old jewelry box in front of the Journalist and opened it. By the way the box lid wiggled as she opened it, the Journalist imagined it was quite old. It was decorated with little jewels, some that seemed to have fallen off over the years. "This one…" the Old Lady said with a smile, picking up a necklace. "…this one has quite a story to it. It's actually the first thing he gave me when…"_

_The Journalist took the necklace softly and stared at it. "When what, Ma'am?" he asked, not looking up from the necklace. It was old and felt very valuable. The dark blue pearls glistened in the sunlight as the Journalist held it up in the setting light of the sunset outside. The pendant the pearls led to was a black gem that he didn't recognize at all. It was unnaturally smooth and seeing his reflection in its shining surface sent a terrible chill down the young journalist's spine._

"…_when I took over as head maid after the incident with Miss Marigold. Be careful with that, dear boy. If what he told me is correct, that gem is actually a piece of the Tattered Spire…" the Old Lady watched the Journalist place the necklace down with gentle urgency. She chuckled softly. "Don't fret, young man. Whatever power it had is long gone. Now it's just tawdry jewelry. I don't know why I kept it. Something about it was soothing, I guess."_

_Though he didn't want to, the Journalist picked the piece of jewelry up again. "That's the thing about those Spire pieces: independent of the spire, they eventually lose their power and become just pieces of rock. Sometimes, chunks will fall off and float to the shores. It's rare nowadays, and I've gotten plenty of offers for that necklace. Liam wants to put it up for sale at the store, but I told him that we're not strapped for gold and no one around here can afford such a thing. Not that anyone around here would want to buy it. Most people in these parts believe pieces of the Spire bring bad luck. I couldn't bear to sell it anyway."_

_As if she knew what the Journalist was thinking, The Old Lady chuckled happily and took the necklace back. Placing it in its spot, the Old Lady looked at the Journalist as he took out his notepad again. He nodded softly and picked up his pen, eager for the rest of her story._

"_Now, where was I…?"_

A book, a thorny rose, a bird, and a star.

All these shapes glistened in the sunlight as Rayanne's fellow maids admired them on her wrist. In the course of almost a year, Rayanne had been receiving gifts almost every day or so. The charms seemed to be a popular gossip topic for the maids, as they were pretty rare. Solid gold and not cheap, the other maids giggled and gossiped about "Rayanne's Benefactor" as they were starting to call whoever kept sending Rayanne such gifts.

Rayanne had talked Trent into telling everyone that he was sending the gifts, but they knew it wasn't true. Of course, she couldn't tell the truth. No one would believe her, first of all. Second, King Logan made it pretty clear that he wanted this to stay secret. Of course, Rayanne believed he delighted in tormenting her and often (off-handedly) threatened to do so. Rayanne sighed and decided that avoiding him would only lead to more of this torment and embarrassment.

Every so often when Rayanne and the King would have an "encounter", a charm for her charm bracelet would follow the next morning. Most of the time, the charm coincided with a new location the "encounter" took place or significant the "encounter" was. The book represented the study, while the thorny rose represented the time he called her to the garden and the passion that occurred afterward. Rayanne blushed remembering that night. She didn't know why he had asked her to come to the garden after hours and found it odd that he sat alone under a trellis with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

With each encounter, Rayanne promised herself she'd try harder to avoid King Logan. After each one, she felt used and dirty, and all he'd do is mutter the same thing. "I will call upon you again, Little Maid." That phrase was starting to get on Rayanne's last nerve. She was starting to wonder if distancing herself from the King was making him come after her more. Rayanne fiddled with the bird charm a little as she thought about it.

The bird charm came after he found her feeding birds in the garden. It wasn't an "encounter" by any means, but he felt it deserved a charm. King Logan just chanced upon Rayanne and the new Little Maids feeding birds and he slowly walked up to them. The Little Maids scampered away, leaving Rayanne standing there holding an old loaf of bread. "Do not shy from me, Little Maid." He chuckled, taking the bread loaf from her. "I do love it when the birds come this time of year. On their way south, I believe. The winter is most cruel to them in this city."

Rayanne watched the King crumble a few pieces of the bread in his palm and held it out for the birds. Birds (most animals actually) didn't like King Logan. It was like they could sense something dark within him and didn't want anything to do with him. So, they flocked to Rayanne, who was soon over encumbered with birds. Logan shooed them away before they could knock her over. "Animals don't seem to like me much anymore. I wonder if they know…"

Looking inquisitively at the King, Rayanne patted off her apron as she watched the king throw the rest of the bread loaf on the ground. "You might want to find those other Little Maids before Miss Marigold comes back. She's been off on errands, I assume."

Logan gently took Rayanne's chin with his fingers and smiled. Even his smiles gave Rayanne a shiver down her spine. He was taunting her. Always. And she knew it. What was worse is that he knew she was thinking that and even acknowledged it a few times. "I will call upon you again, Little Maid…"

Rayanne came back from her little flashback as the maids continued to fawn over her latest charm: a star. She didn't know what this one meant. "So, are you meeting your benefactor tonight?" giggled Noelle. Rayanne shook herself from her day dream and sighed softly.

"For the last time, I don't have a benefactor. I'm meeting Trent in the town square tonight." Rayanne mumbled, playing with her charm bracelet. The night before, Trent sent a letter to Rayanne, asking her to join him in the city that night. At first, she was resistant. Rayanne didn't like going into the city, even on her nights off. Big crowds made her uncomfortable. She felt staying in with a good book would be the best way to spend her nights. Of course, this changed when her "encounters" with King Logan started to become more frequent. Deciding she needed the distraction, Rayanne decided to give a little adventure a chance.

But that morning, as she sent her response, a blue box came and had the star charm in it. This didn't seem good.

"Be careful with that, Rayanne." chirped Trina. "Stuff has been turning up missing lately. A bracelet like that is just asking to be stolen."

In the last week, specific items had been turning up missing from around the servant's quarters. Normally, things like this would be ignored, but personal items seemed to be most stolen. Pictures of relatives, letters from boyfriends, "hidden" boxes full of gold saved, and even Rayanne's journal. Even Abigail and Beatrice had things turn up missing, and those two were the first to be accused of the thefts. In truth, it could have been anyone, but Rayanne still shivered at the thought of someone reading her journal.

It was where she kept her most detailed recordings of her encounters with King Logan. If any of that were to get loose in the city…

Rayanne tried not to think about it. The maids had reported the missing items to the guards, but whether or not they would be taken seriously was another matter. Though on the inside, Rayanne was screaming with worry that some pervert was reading about King Logan taking Rayanne in the rose garden or how good it felt when his gloved hands caressed her skin, she played along with the other maids and acted as if it was no big deal.

The other maids giggled and then separated when Miss Marigold came around a corner with the new Little Maids in tow. Rayanne stood up straight when Miss Marigold walked up. "Good afternoon, Miss Marigold…" she murmured, curtseying softly.

Miss Marigold only nodded and led the Little Maids off. Rayanne wasn't sure why, but she had started to notice Miss Marigold acting strangely. Usually the first one up, Miss Marigold had started to sleep in a bit. It didn't stop there. She seemed to be lacking in her chores and Rayanne often found herself doing some cleaning after her. What made Rayanne even more worried was Miss Marigold's cold attitude towards her recently. When asking her fellow maids about it, Rayanne only received shrugs.

Within the castle, King Logan sat on his throne, as he did whenever there was a council meeting, and listened to the latest in what was going on around the kingdom. "While the people of Brightwall aren't crazy about your idea of closing the Library, as you said, they will get over it, Sir." said one of the older council members. Logan only nodded. "Reaver also sends his thanks for permission to open another factory within Industrial. He couldn't be here personally, but his attendant sent a letter of thanks all the same."

Logan nodded again, as if he wasn't paying attention. Sleep was his enemy lately. He tried, but each time he closed his eyes all he could hear was the horrible hissing sound from the darkest corners of his mind. His eyes shot when the hissing got too loud. "…and we've gotten more complaints about the smog in Industrial, but we forwarded those to Reaver. Whether or not he's going to address them is another matter." The councilman ended his speech and sat down. Sir Walter, always at Logan's side for meetings, could tell Logan wasn't paying attention.

As the councilmen left, Logan stopped Walter as he got up from the throne. "Where is my sister?" he asked, straightening himself up.

"Probably in the library, studying. It is study hour." Sir Walter answered, glancing over at the grandfather clock in the corner. Logan nodded softly and made his way out of the throne room without Walter. Logan had tried to get some time alone with his sister, but other things seemed to be distracting him, and not just his occasional liaisons with a certain maid.

Logan walked the halls of the castle, which seemed to be almost bare lately. The servants gossiped over missing guards or their fellow servants who would just not show up. This was of little importance to him, of course. He had better things to contend with than the social lives of the servants; even if he was responsible for some of them disappearing.

Rumors ran rampant of rebellion and they eventually reached Bowerstone Castle. Logan, of course, heard these rumors and was warned countless times by Walter not to take stock in them. "It's probably just some teenagers causing trouble in the city, your majesty. You shouldn't concern yourself with it." Walter would tell him. No, these weren't just teenagers breaking windows and playing pranks on the guards. These people were breaking into warehouses and stealing stock. Most of the time, it was ammunition from the guard store houses, which was something that kept Logan thinking.

"Walter…" the king muttered, as if knowing Walter was suddenly behind him. "I want you to send a few more guards to Industrial. These 'rebels' seemed to be getting gutsy."

"But my King, should we waste the resources? The head of the guard himself said it's probably just teenagers playing pranks." Sir Walter, who had been noticing an alarming change in the king as of late, played with the collar of his uniform. "You've already sent most of the Old Guard out to Mourningwood for…whatever reason, and all we have left is the guard patrolling the city and the castle grounds."

Logan turned to Walter sharply, who lowered his tongue and cleared his throat. "Teenagers causing trouble or not, if one of them so much as even nudges a lantern out of place, the gun power and ammunition stored in those store houses could blow up half of Bowerstone like that." King Logan snapped his fingers and left Walter only nodding.

King Logan closed the door to his study and sighed softly. He walked over to the window and pulled the curtain out of place just a little to get a view of the garden. Once again, he saw his sister prancing around with Elliot and her dog, Bandit. Bandit (why she named him that Logan didn't know) was actually a stray puppy Logan had found playing among the bushes in the garden. The moment he reached down to pet the puppy, it growled at him. When Logan ordered the thing thrown into the streets, Princess Robin protested. Logan reluctantly let her keep the puppy and it eventually became her faithful companion. He hadn't left the Princess's side since she took him in.

Despite Bandit being a Border Collie (a particularly rare breed in Albion), everyone in the castle wasn't sure why it was a stray. It didn't matter to Princess Robin, who loved the dog unconditionally. Logan looked through the window in disgust at how childish his sister could be. She was just a year or so short of being a woman and she still had the mentality of a five-year-old. He shook his head and was about to leave the window when a certain maid carrying a tray of snacks and tea toward the Princess caught his eye.

Rayanne carefully brought the tray of tea and snacks toward the garden bench that the Princess and Elliot had stationed themselves at. "Here we go, my Princess." Rayanne chirped, setting the tea tray on a small table next to the bench. "Tea and biscuits with honey, just like you like it." Rayanne started setting up everything as the Princess smiled. She felt a nip at her ankle and looked down with a smile. "I didn't forget you, my good Sir." Rayanne giggled, reaching into her apron pocket. "You're a bad influence on me, do you know that?" she giggled, taking a small bone wrapped in a napkin from her pocket.

"Thank you, Rayanne." The Princess sang as she poured herself some tea. Rayanne bowed and started to leave the area when she felt a tug on her dress hem. Looking down, she found Bandit tugging at her dress. "It seems he wants you to stay." Princess Robin giggled.

"Oh, I shouldn't, I have a lot to do…" Rayanne murmured, tugging her dress away from the dog's grip.

Through the Princess's insistence, Rayanne sat down and enjoyed some of the fresh sweets the cook made especially for the Princess. "How have you been, Rayanne?" the Princess asked, stirring her tea. Rayanne blushed softly and only nibbled on her treat. "We haven't seen much of each other since…well, that whole thing. I want you to know I'm still sorry about the entire thing and if there is anything…"

"Please, Princess, you have no reason to apologize. I was…" Rayanne tried not to tear up as she remembered the night of passion she found herself unwittingly enjoying with the King, the Princess's own brother. "…it's all in the past. Jasper said those sheets needed to be replaced anyway…" she murmured again, hiding her blushing face.

Elliot bit into his treat and nodded awkwardly. "Say…that's a nice charm bracelet…" he mentioned as he reached for a cup of tea. Rayanne grabbed her wrist and blushed softly. The Princess looked up and took notice of the bracelet as well.

"It is quite nice!" The Princess shouted, taking Rayanne's wrist. "Who gave it to you? Was it that secret admirer that the other maids keep talking about?" The Princess looked at Rayanne hopefully. Rayanne cleared her throat and hid her wrist behind her back. "I think it's romantic! Who is it? I bet it's that guard I sometimes see you talking to! Is it him? He used to patrol in front of my brother's room, what was his name, Trent? Yes, Trent! Was it him? How could he afford it? Is he your boyfriend?"

Blushing deeply, Rayanne giggled softly and played with the bracelet. "Trent is a nice man. He's a very good guard and he does care about me a great deal. And…I think I care about him a lot too. I have tonight off and I'm meeting him in town for dinner. It'll be our first official…" Rayanne blushed softly. "…date…" Rayanne chirped as the Princess screamed in happiness.

It wasn't until the dog started growling that everyone stood up. "It must be nice to enjoy this beautiful day when _some of us_ are stuck inside doing important things." King Logan's very presence sent shivers down Rayanne's spine and sent the dog into a growling frenzy. "You're late for your studies, sister. Jasper won't wait forever. Elliot, don't you have somewhere to be?" It was pretty obvious that King Logan disliked Elliot quite a bit. He made it no secret, anyway. Elliot bowed to the King and the Princess and ran off to meet his father. "…and you, Little Maid…" Logan stared down at Rayanne as she blushed deeply.

Rayanne scampered off. Princess Robin huffed a bit. "You shouldn't be so rude!" she scolded, as her brother turned to face her. "You'd be happy to know we were actually discussing important things with the maid. By the way, she has a name and it's Rayanne!" The Princess puffed up her cheeks as her brother glared at her.

"And what, pray tell, could you possibly discuss with a maid?" The King shook his head as he walked back toward the castle. His sister and her dog followed loyally. "She's a maid. Her day consists of serving others. Miss Marigold trained her and the others for that and nothing else. I'm sure her discussing dish rags and sweeping can be quite enthralling."

The Princess scoffed with a big laugh and started walking in front of her brother. "Well, Mr. Smarty-King, you wouldn't understand romantic matters! Rayanne has a date tonight with her handsome guard suitor!"

King Logan stopped where he was and just stared at his sister. "…a date?" he murmured, trying not to look shocked.

"Yes, a date! You have no romantic mind, so you wouldn't understand! I think it's nice that someone can look past what happened to her and love her the way everyone deserves to be loved. Even you, brother!" Princess Robin, ever the romantic thinker, couldn't see the rage filling her brother's eyes. Even though he had forbidden talk of "the incident" from almost two years ago, it was still fresh in the Princess's mind. "She won't admit it, but I know it was that guard that sent her those gifts! She's meeting him tonight! Isn't that romantic, Logan?"

The Princess looked behind herself and realized her brother had walked away. She looked down and Bandit, who wagged his tail happily. "I swear, not a romantic bone in his body." She scoffed, leading the dog back into the castle through the kitchen.

The evening rolled around and Rayanne had finally finished her duties for that day. She walked back toward the servant's quarters, making sure a certain king wasn't having her followed. Rayanne had asked Trina and Noelle to go into town with her so she could meet Trent, feeling that going in a group would decrease her chances of being spotted by anyone. She didn't have many outfits other than her uniform, but Rayanne had been saving a little something for this night. It wasn't much, but with Trina and Noelle's help, Rayanne was able to sew together a decent looking dress.

In all honesty, it looked like any other regular dress any woman in Bowerstone could buy from the tailor, but to Rayanne, it was something special. "Oh, Trent is going to go crazy when he sees you in this!" Trina fawned as Noelle fixed up Rayanne's hair. Rayanne was noticeably nervous, but not about the date. Though she and Trent had gone out before, it was mostly him "accidently" running into her while she was running errands in town or just spending time with her on his breaks. But tonight was their first official "date".

"…and done!" shouted Noelle, helping Rayanne up. "Now we're ready to hit the town!"

"We need to be careful. I don't know if Abigail and Beatrice have left yet, and I just know they're looking for a reason to cause trouble." mumbled Rayanne. Trina and Noelle, not exempt from the duo's horrible teasing, nodded in unison to each other and finished helping Rayanne get ready. Trina found Rayanne's shoes and plopped them down on the ground before her. "Where is Miss Marigold?" Rayanne asked as she slipped her shoes on. Trina and Noelle shrugged softly.

Noelle sighed and looked around. "I don't know. She's been acting weird lately. Ever since the King put down those stricter rules, she's been more 'Long Live the King' than usual. But with all these new rules, Miss Marigold seems to be the only one exempt. I sometimes see her leave late at night when I'm done with my duties and she even sleeps in."

Rayanne didn't know how to respond to what she just heard. "It's not just that." Trina chirped as the three headed toward the door. "Did you notice that the crowd was a little thin last time we all had a servant's meeting? I heard that the guards found evidence of espionage on some of the servants."

"Espio-what?" asked Noelle.

"It means anything spy-related." Rayanne murmured. "I'm pretty sure those are just rumors. Though, I did notice it's been pretty quiet around the castle lately. Less servants means more money for guards, I guess. But it's not just Miss Marigold acting weird. All the servants seem to be on edge. I can barely sweep without one of those brutish Elites watching me."

Trina and Noelle nodded in agreement, unaware that they were being watched as they left with Rayanne towards the back garden entrance.

After showing the guard at the back gate their passes, the maids made their way to the city. "I can't believe we had to get signed permission to leave the castle grounds." Trina mumbled as soon as they left the earshot of the guard. "…and Miss Marigold was acting almost panicked when I told her it was for us."

Rayanne sighed and played with her sleeves. New rules had been popping up almost out of nowhere. Miss Marigold had Rayanne recite them to the other maids. She could sound them off in her head and it disturbed her a bit.

_1) No servant is to leave the castle grounds without special permission from Jasper or Miss Marigold_

_2) Anyone caught out after curfew without special permission will be punished_

_3) Do not bother the Elite Soldiers. Let them do their duty and be on your way_

_4) Any gossip about the King, the Princess, or anyone close to the royal family will be taken seriously_

_5) Any talk of rebels or rebellion is strictly forbidden_

_6) Anyone even hinted at acting suspicious will be investigated_

_7) All servants will report to Jasper or Miss Marigold every morning and every night after duties are done_

_8) Anyone found objecting to these rules or any other rules the King has yet to make will be reprimanded_

That was just the first page. Rayanne felt it would get to the point where each maid would need a special escort just to sweep a room. She hoped it wouldn't anyway. The last thing she needed was another unnecessary gift from the King. She was happy to be able to get out of the castle.

King Logan, on the other hand, was not. He had been giving some thought to his "courtship" with Rayanne and he sighed while sipping his wine. Of course, officially, they couldn't publically announce anything. It'd be a scandal! A King courting a maid when he could have any woman in Albion, the very notion was absurd! Besides that, he was debating with himself if his special "training" for her should begin. Though he did enjoy their little encounters and such, he had more planned for Rayanne.

Obedience was a trait that Rayanne had an abundance of, but if he asked her to, would she follow him anywhere? Was it love or loyalty that kept her agreeing to the encounters? Logan didn't know. Love, as he saw it, was a fleeting idea that only his sister seemed to believe in. Though, the very thought of Rayanne being out with another man seemed to ignite a fire in his heart. King Logan sat at the map table in his war room and meditated on the thought for a bit. What if Rayanne actually loved this man? What if she married him and left the castle?

Or maybe…what would happen if she was put in a position to where she couldn't leave the castle…or King Logan? He looked at the opened envelope on the map table and slowly took the letter out. What he had read and reread over and over made his blood boil and the author of the note obviously thought he was stupid. "So, this is how my people think of me? Some type of pampered fool? Well, I'll make them see the light, even if it means they never see it again!" Logan threw down the letter and shouted for one of his guards to come into the war room. Usually, they weren't allowed in unless he specifically said so.

"Yes, my king?" asked the Elite, saluting as he walked in.

"Find Miss Marigold and bring her to my throne room, now. And while you're at it, have all the servants come back at once. I want to hear no objections. I don't care if you and your men have to drag them here, but I want all of them back in this castle in less than an hour. But Miss Marigold and her apprentice are to be in front of me within that hour and not a minute afterward. Do I make myself clear?" King Logan's imposing glare pierced the soldier's very heart.

In the city, Rayanne felt she was being watched. "Relax, Rayanne." chirped Noelle as they neared the newly named "Cock in the Crown" tavern. Rayanne wasn't sure why they had renamed the "Cow & Corset", but everyone seemed to not even notice. If one could get ale and drown their worries, the name didn't matter. "We'll be here if you need us."

"You're not coming with me?" asked Rayanne.

"It's your date, silly!" Trina giggled. "Don't worry, we know where Trent lives and we'll come get you in a little while. Have fun!" With that, Rayanne was left by herself as throngs of citizens meandered into the tavern. She didn't have to walk far as she found Trent waving to her at the clock tower.

Relieved that she didn't have to wonder around Bowerstone like a lost child, Rayanne happily ran up to Trent. He looked different not dressed up as a soldier. His red uniform gone in favor of simple "Middle-class" clothes, Trent sure did blend in. As soon as she approached him, Trent took Rayanne's hand and led her off.

"You look weird without your uniform." Rayanne chirped as they crossed the bridge. "…not to mention somewhat shorter without the hat."

Trent chuckled softly and sighed. "I'm glad you were able to get a night off. It seems like ages since we met up. Miss Marigold must have you working on something at all hours of the night. Sometimes, whenever I get scheduled for night duty, I see you leaving the castle."

Rayanne blushed softly. She had no future plans of telling Trent why she often left the castle late at night. "Yeah…extra work…" she murmured with a blush.

"You know, some of the guys in my unit are being stationed in Mourningwood. Only me and about three others are staying behind. I've never been to Mourningwood, but from the stories I've heard, I don't plan on it anytime soon. I hear that the dead out there…have a problem staying that way. More soldiers get buried out there than are stationed." Trent had a grim look on his face as he looked up at the stars. "The King, we think, has a sick sense of humor for sending men out there. Most of the guards think he's just trying to get rid of regular soldiers so he'd have more resources to spend on the Elites."

Rayanne folded her arms and tried not to think about it. The thought of Logan sending Trent to his death sent a shock through her body. "Don't tell anyone I told you this…" Trent whispered, as he made sure no one was around to hear him. "…you know that noble's son that Princess Robin keeps around?" Rayanne nodded. "I've heard he's been seen talking to some unscrupulous characters at the pub in the marketplace."

"Well, it IS a pub. Unscrupulous characters are to be expected." Rayanne giggled as she took Trent's arm. Trent blushed as they stopped in the middle of the bridge. They leaned against the ledge and watched the moon reflect on the water as a small boat went by.

Trent shook his head. "Not the usual drunks that frequent that place. I mean cloak and dagger type of people. They never touch the ale served to them, but he pays for it in full. I don't think he's using the Princess to get information. The Princess barely knows what's going on. But we soldiers know…we know more than we need to. Some of those things I hope I'll take to my grave. The King, he's changed so much. I don't think he sleeps anymore and the other servants have told stories of just leaving his meals outside the War Room. We're forbidden to go in there now without permission. The regular soldiers seem to get the shaft, but those Elites are something special. I've been thinking…"

Trent put his hand on Rayanne's and grasped it tightly. "…maybe I should go out for Elite training. I heard they get paid more."

Rayanne looked at Trent dead in the eyes. "You can't become one of those brutes! I don't want you to become some kind of automaton for the King! He doesn't need any more people to lay down for him. He's got plenty. That I know of." Rayanne hushed herself before she could say anymore. She played with her charm bracelet, which was hidden under her sleeve. Trent just cocked an eyebrow at Rayanne. She was hoping to everything that he didn't know what she was thinking.

"Has…the King been doing something to you and the maids, Rayanne?" Trent asked. Rayanne blushed softly and turned her head slowly. "Is something going on that I need to know?"

Rayanne feverishly shook her head. She hated lying to Trent, but if Logan found out she told anyone their dirty little secret, it'd be Trent's head, along with hers. "No, but things have been getting tense. Miss Marigold is gone more often than she is there. I'm usually stuck doing the extra work, not that I mind it. Abigail and Beatrice seem to take advantage of this and leave some of their work unfinished, making other maids do it for them. If the King found out, they'd disappear too. The maids…all of us, have decided to stick together. Even those two don't deserve whatever horrible punishment the King could come up with. No one knows where Miss Marigold is half the time, but she always comes back conveniently before the King or anyone else notices. As her apprentice, I notice too often."

"Rayanne, if I do get stationed in Mourningwood…" Trent seemed to be having trouble with his words. "…would you come with me? I mean, well, you obviously can't come with me to the fort out there, but maybe you could set up camp at that eco-warrior settlement and…" Trent then realized how stupid he sounded and stopped talking. Rayanne giggled softly and leaned against him. Trent smiled and looked at her deep in her brown eyes and let nature take its course.

Before Rayanne could react, she felt a large gloved hand on her shoulder. She saw Trent panic and salute as the large hand made her turn around. Rayanne stared up at the Elite, though she couldn't see his eyes through the helmet. Behind him, some of his men stood with the other maids. "Rayanne? Come with us." Was all the Elite said as he and his men ushered the maids off. Rayanne looked back at Trent, who trembled where he stood. She didn't blame him for not reacting. The Elites were not to be trifled with.

"Hey, we have special permission to be out! You can't do this!" shouted Noelle, holding up her slip of permission. The Elites ignored her.

Trina stayed silent along with the other maids. "What's going on?" Rayanne whispered. No one answered. She didn't blame them, either. Eventually, the Elites were joined by two more Elites having found Abigail and Beatrice and shoving them toward the other maids.

"That's all of them, Sir. Ten maids all present and accounted for. Except Miss Marigold..." said one of the Elites as the maids bundled together. The maids were noticeably terrified. Even Abigail had a look of sheer terror on her face as the Elites escorted the maids off toward the castle. Everyone in Bowerstone watched, as if watching prisoners on the way to the gallows.

The maids said nothing as they marched toward the castle and through the front gate. Rayanne could have sworn she heard thunder overhead. She did recall storms being in the forecast, but didn't expect it until later on that night. Something bad was brewing in the castle, and the forces of the universe were making sure it had proper ambiance. "Keep moving!" shouted one of the Elites as the maids trudged their way into the castle and up the grand staircase.

The doors to the throne room burst open and the maids piled in. Rayanne found herself being ushered to the center of the throne room and thrown in front of the steps to the throne. King Logan, as regal and despondent as ever, stared down at her. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but she felt like she was about to be sentenced to death. She looked up and saw Sir Walter staring down at her. Rayanne didn't expect special treatment from the King. In fact, she didn't want it. If he was going to sentence her to life imprisonment or death, he might as well do it now.

"Bring in the accused!" King Logan shouted to his Elites. Now Rayanne was even more confused. If she and the maids weren't in trouble, what was going on? King Logan sat on his throne, straight as a broom as the guards brought in Miss Marigold, who looked disheveled and unkempt. "Take a good look, Little Maids; take a good, long look at the woman who was selling you short!" King Logan shouted.

Sir Walter held a piece of parchment in his hand and stepped forward. "Dame Marigold, you have been accused of espionage, high treason, and conspiracy. We have sufficient evidence to prove your guilt. What say you in your defense?" Sir Walter asked. Miss Marigold stood straight as a broom. Sir Walter looked at King Logan, who cleared his throat as the thunder roared outside. The maids held themselves together.

"Marigold, you disappoint me." King Logan began, as he stood up from his throne. "I recently received a letter that was 'found' in the maid's quarters. Anonymously, someone was trying to point out a rat in my halls. I would have been grateful, had I not seen the name of the accused. Bring forth Rayanne!"

One of the Elites grabbed Rayanne harshly and stood her before the King. "Little Maid, is this your handwriting?" the King asked, handing Rayanne the letters. Rayanne slowly took the letters and skimmed them.

_I have brought what you asked, but I want to be paid more for my trouble. It's not worth it. My "closeness" to the King has proven pretty valuable. He doesn't know the other maids and I have been stealing things from under his nose for years. I will forward the new schematics for the warships he has planned as promised. The other maids and I need time to set something up. I don't know how long it will take, just give us time._

_Tell the others not to worry. I'll be alright. Leave my payment in the usual place._

_~R._

This wasn't even close to Rayanne's handwriting. The King knew this. He had seen Rayanne write before, but in the interests of the court (or perhaps for his own satisfaction), Logan asked her again. "Is this or is this not your handwriting?" he demanded, yanking the letters back from her. Rayanne shook her head.

Logan waved to Walter, who picked up a small bag and dumped it in front of Miss Marigold. "These items were found in your room when we searched it. The guards came to me concerned that personal effects from the servant's quarters were going missing. I probably would have shrugged it away had this letter not come to my attention."

"My locket!" shouted Trina, as the items poured out of the bag.

"My silver handle hairbrush!" shouted Noelle.

All the maids were noticeably angry as they identified their personal belongings. The last thing to fall from the bag was Rayanne's journal. Rayanne attempted to reach for it, but a nearby Elite stopped her with a nudge from his boot.

King Logan seemed to be on a roll and kept it going. "Had I not been given this letter anonymously, I never would have looked into the matter. Girls, I hate to disappoint you, but your beloved Miss Marigold is a spy for the insurgent group forming in Bowerstone and to cover her own tracks, she was going to have you all taken down."

The maids looked on in horror at their fallen leader. "She took on new Little Maids to replace all of you for when I had you all sentenced. I'm sure you all wondered why she took on so many Little Maids when we obviously have plenty. Her habit of thinking ahead got the best of her."

Sir Walter looked at the poor old woman before him and the King. She said nothing in her defense. "She didn't have time to plant the evidence of any misdeeds by the time she was found out. But worst of all…" Logan stopped his rant and looked at Rayanne. "…she was accusing you, Rayanne, of being the ring leader. She was willing to sacrifice her most loyal maid for this useless cause. The woman you looked upon as a mother was going to plant it all on you just to save herself. They say you should beware the quiet ones, but in this case such advice would be false. I've seen you work, Little Maid. You keep yourself in open areas as much as possible. You wouldn't have gotten an opportunity to steal anything. If this had worked, the other maids would have been imprisoned and you would have gotten the gallows."

Rayanne grabbed at her throat softly. "But she didn't expect you to go out with the other maids. She knew that if she refused you a slip of permission, you'd get suspicious. So, she had to work fast. Though not fast enough, as the guards caught her planting evidence." King Logan seemed pretty convinced of this testimony.

Sir Walter shook his head. "Miss Marigold, do you have anything to say in your defense?" he asked, trying not to feel anything at the moment. Sir Walter tried to keep a straight face, but was noticeably disappointed and only looked away from the old woman's pleading eyes.

"I didn't do any of this for my own gain." The old woman said, finally. Her eyes locked onto her target, the King, as she continued to hold herself up. "I wasn't trying to cover my tracks. I was trying to protect my maids from a monster in silk!" she shouted.

This statement hit King Logan hard. He watched Miss Marigold look at Rayanne and then at him. "I know what you have planned, you sick monster. I know everything. I was doing what I could to prevent it from escalating to the point of no return. I love my maids, but I knew if I tried to recruit them to the rebels, they'd be in more danger. I knew the only safe place for them would be the dungeons. And in Rayanne's case…" Miss Marigold turned to Rayanne again. "...I know your horrible secret and to protect her from you, the only safe place would have been the afterlife." Miss Marigold whispered that only Logan could hear.

"It's not horrible if both parties consent to it. Then, it's just a secret." Logan whispered back, somewhat self-satisfyingly.

"The bracelet is my evidence of your misdeeds!" she shouted, pointing to Rayanne's charm bracelet. "I knew I recognized it somewhere. That bracelet was once belonged to your mother! I knew she couldn't have stolen it and even if she did, she wouldn't wear it around. A gift to silence her…"

Rayanne blushed and held her wrist as the guards and the maids stared at her. King Logan swallowed hard and tried to think. "Trent gave this to me!" Rayanne shouted out of nowhere. Everyone looked at her. Rayanne had no idea what she was doing, by decided to go with it. "Trent gave it to me. He…said he bought it from a trader saying that this bracelet design was once very popular during the old queen's time but he couldn't be certain if it was real gold or not. Your Majesty, inspect it yourself…"

King Logan walked to Rayanne and softly took her wrists. He glanced at the bracelet and then to Rayanne. He smiled to her, as if thanking her. "This isn't real gold. It's painted. My mother's jewels are locked in a safe hidden in the castle, anyway. There is no way she could have known what the bracelet looked like. And neither could you…" King Logan glared down at Miss Marigold. "These young women looked at you as mother and you betrayed their trust and love. Even worse, you throw groundless accusations at your own King!" Logan went back to his throne and had the guards bring Miss Marigold closer to him.

"Dame Marigold, _former_ head maid to the Royal Family, I hereby sentence you to death! Your execution will be in a week's time. You will be housed in the dungeons until that time." Miss Marigold looked at Rayanne, who had tears in her eyes. "Girls, come claim your items and wait for the guards to escort you back to the servant's quarters."

The maids rushed over to the pile and claimed their respective items. All that remained was Rayanne's journal. "The journal is proof!" Miss Marigold shouted as the Elites dragged her away. Rayanne knelt down and picked up her journal, cuddling it tightly. Before Rayanne could leave, she felt another hand on her shoulder.

"I know this is difficult for you, Little Maid, but we have something we need to discuss with you." said Sir Walter, making way for the King. "Since you were Miss Marigold's apprentice, you are still under suspicion. I don't recommend you go anywhere for a while."

"Don't scare the poor thing, Walter." The King scoffed as he stood in front of Rayanne. "It seems, since you were Miss Marigold's apprentice, that you are now the head maid."

Rayanne, obviously shocked, shook her head. "No, I don't think…"

"Don't be modest, Little Maid. You are obviously more qualified. Think of the perks you have now. All the maids answer to you now, and there is more influence with that title, not to mention a slight pay increase." King Logan, his arms behind his back, smiled at Rayanne. "…as well, as your own room here in the castle." Logan seemed to like that last part. "Granted, it's a little out of the way from the other rooms; I guess now I know why Miss Marigold wanted such privacy. It's a nice room, either way. I suggest you go pack your things and move in at once. The guards will help you." Logan called over two Elites and had them stay by Rayanne's side. "Help her with her things and then get back to your posts. Tell me when she's completely moved into that room. I want all guards on alert tonight. I don't know if Miss Marigold had a plan B or not but I'd rather not chance it."

With that, the newest chapter in Rayanne's life began. The maids, as if being told, watched as Rayanne moved her few meager belongings into the castle. All the maids, including Abigail and Beatrice, stood in ceremony as the guards walked with Rayanne back into the castle. They answered to her now, but Rayanne felt the title was yet another gift from the King. Why did she defend him? She could have ousted their secret before everyone, but when she thought about it, it would have proved nothing. The King would have still denied it and she'd be sharing a cell with Miss Marigold.

Rayanne walked with the Elites, though felt as if she was being led to the gallows.

As the guards left her to her new surroundings, Rayanne contemplated the night's events. The room was indeed nicer, though it was in the middle of an otherwise empty wing of the castle with Jasper's room just down the hall from it. Rayanne sat on her new bed and cried horrified tears. Was Miss Marigold really trying to protect her? Rayanne didn't know. She didn't know how she felt about being so close to the king.

The last time Rayanne saw Miss Marigold alive was through a window overlooking the castle gates in the hallway that housed her room. She couldn't bear standing there, in her new head maid uniform as the guards yanked the poor old woman to the front of the mob forming outside.

The other maids stood off to the side down in the courtyard, shielding the new Little Maids as a guard read Miss Marigold the accusations against her. In truth, Rayanne didn't think it was much of a trial, but she had little to say on the matter. What she believed to be true and what wasn't didn't matter anymore. Yes, she felt betrayed, but she wasn't sure by whom. She placed her hand on the window as she watched Trent and his unit ready their weapons. She could sense the horrified sadness in him, because she felt it too.

"Traitor!" shouted Abigail through her angry tears.

"You tried to hang us out to dry for yourself!" shouted Noelle through her own angry tears.

"Now I see the true monster! You never cared about us! You were only raising scapegoats!" Trina cried out, shielding the new Little Maids.

She heard footsteps behind her and then felt a gloved hand place itself on her shoulder. "You didn't want to be down there. I don't blame you, neither did I." murmured the King, as he watched along with Rayanne. She said nothing, no longer sure what to feel anymore. "You probably don't believe me, but everything said at the trial is the truth. Except your part about the bracelet. She was part of the insurgence. In fact, she had been for years. We have plenty of evidence to support it. She would have just taken you and the others down with her."

Rayanne only nodded as she played with the charm bracelet on her wrist. Logan noticed it and smiled. "You still wear it…"

"Because you told me never to take it off…" Rayanne murmured as she watched the spectacle below.

King Logan grinned self-satisfyingly and watched with Rayanne as the guards counted down. Miss Marigold didn't even blink as the Captain's sabre came down and the guards fired at her. Rayanne, from her spot, burst into tears and fell into the King's arms, sobbing. This is what the King wanted. He stroked her back softly and watched as the guards dragged Miss Marigold's body away.

"…and now, Little Maid, begins your real training…"

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha! So, still having a good time?<strong>

**I dunno about you guys, but I think I'm more invested in this story than I originally thought. I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves, because it's going to start getting…*blush* well, I don't think I need to tell you guys what's going on. Though, since this is an experiment, I want to know how I did. Please, let me know.**

**This story was never meant to be very long, so I don't expect to do many more chapters. Maybe two or three more, tops. I just can't wait!**

**So, if you guys noticed, I did a crossover recently but truth be told, I'm probably going to take it down and work on it some more. I reread it and maybe I was in a hurry that morning, but I think I may have published something obviously rushed. I can't believe I did that. I apologize for that right now. I hate stories that feel rushed and I shouldn't release stories that are rushed. I'm probably going to take it down and work on it some more. Whether or not I'm going to post it again…I dunno.**

**Well, you know what's a good fic? My portal fic, "Reconstructing Humanity" which, by the way, is heading for a huge finale! I'm working on it right now and I cannot wait!**

**Well, my dears let me know how the experiment is going and review it! I like to know how I'm doing so don't be shy! Please, let me know how I'm doing and if I'm doing it right! Review and be merry!**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	6. True Obedience

_A Maid's Story_

True Obedience

_The Journalist had stepped outside to smoke his pipe, not wanting to offend the Old Lady. She had offered to let him stay for dinner, as the food at the Inn wasn't very good. He had agreed, knowing that everything she was telling him was gold. If this story didn't get him a promotion, nothing would. In a few days' time, all of Bowerstone would be reading this story. He even started to think about asking the Old Lady if he could publish her story as a full-fledged novel!_

_Names changed, of course. Had to protect certain people. Of course, he'd share all his earnings from it with her, which was fair. She might even be grateful that more people would get a chance to hear her story. It was indeed a doozy and he couldn't wait to start work on it once he returned to Bowerstone._

_As The Journalist took a puff from his pipe, he heard the front door open. The Old Lady stepped outside, with help from a cane of course. "The fresh air is so nice, isn't it?" she chuckled, sitting in a chair propped up against the house. "Liam should be home soon, so I'm going to enjoy some time outside before he comes up scolding me like a child. I'll make his favorite dinner; that usually calms his temper."_

"_He still lives with you?" asked the Journalist._

"_Yes, he feels he needs to look after me constantly. He's a young man, probably about your age, maybe a little older." The Old Lady sighed and leaned against her cane. From her home, which rested on a slight hill, one could see the entirety of Brightwall. Once a little hamlet in the mountains, Brightwall was now a bustling town, usually a respite for travelers, and made most of its money from the growing of livestock. Not much could grow in such rocky terrain, but livestock did pretty well, oddly._

"_When we first moved here, we stayed in a little cottage not far from the town gate. When my husband opened the general store, we bought the land where a chicken farm used to be. I don't know the whole story, but I do know the chicken farmer went stir crazy one night, claiming the chicken gods were after him. They carted the poor man off when they found him chasing children with an axe yelling 'Here chicky-chicky!' and laughing maniacally. His wife sold the land to my husband for cheap because she just wanted to leave the village with what dignity she had left. We rebuilt the house and lived here ever since."_

_The Journalist nodded. He didn't know much about chickens, being born and raised in the city, but he had never known them to drive people crazy. He had heard they were smarter than humans gave them credit for._

_Taking a long puff from his pipe, The Journalist smiled softly at the sun setting behind the Brightwall Academy. The town crier below in the town square shouted that all the shops were closed until tomorrow. The Old Lady pointed to the shop at the very beginning of the path. "That's the general store. Liam will probably be around soon. He has to do the inventory and clean up before he locks up for the night. I think he gets his perfectionist personality from me." The Old Lady giggled as The Journalist helped her back inside._

_The Old Lady made her way toward the kitchen and started taking out some utensils. "How about I continue the story while I cook us up a nice dinner?"_

_The Journalist, having put out his pipe, eagerly sat down and picked up his notepad again as the Old Lady started chopping vegetables. "Well, now let's see…" she murmured as she dropped the chopped veggies in the steaming pot._

* * *

><p>There wasn't anything about her new title that Rayanne didn't like. To her, being head maid was like being a regular maid but in another uniform. Her new uniform was longer and seemed to be made of a nicer material. It didn't matter much to her. She settled into her new role quite nicely.<p>

The maids didn't seem to have a problem answering to Rayanne now. If anything, they seemed to prefer her to Miss Marigold. Filling Miss Marigold's shoes wasn't easy, but Rayanne eventually fell into her own routine and just went along with the groove of the castle. Most of her time nowadays was spent making out chore lists for the maids, helping instruction of the new Little Maids, and just generally making sure things got done. While she did take some satisfaction in knowing the other maids had to answer to her, Rayanne still felt like the same Little Maid that walked into the castle behind Miss Marigold years before.

Rayanne felt her becoming head maid came at an odd time. Though it had been almost a month, Miss Marigold's trial and execution was still fresh in her mind, as well as those of the other maids. No one talked about it. No one felt the need to. To the other maids, what the King had told them at Miss Marigold's trial was the truth. Like Rayanne, most of the maids came in when they were little and had looked to Miss Marigold like the mother that they all wished they had. Each maid was understandably heartbroken and it became an unspoken rule to not mention her again.

But Rayanne couldn't stop thinking about Miss Marigold. Did she feel bad for what she did at the trial? A little, admittedly, but she often told herself it wouldn't have mattered either way. She couldn't reveal her secret affair with the King. He'd deny it, first of all, and no one would believe Rayanne anyway.

With a sigh, Rayanne picked up her chore lists and decided it was time to start the day. She believed it wouldn't have mattered either way. Rayanne seemed colder now and felt that whether or not Miss Marigold was guilty or not didn't matter. Rayanne walked up to the maids as they waited for instructions.

"Alright, you girls know the drill. When I call you up, come get your lists…" Rayanne made sure the stack was straight and looked among the mother maids as she started passing out the lists. "Trina, Noelle, Olivia, Abigail, Beatrice, Cora, Marcy, Marlene…has anyone see Marlene?"

The maids shrugged and looked at each other. In the last month, a group of ten maids had gone down to six (not including the Little Maids) and it meant a heavier work load for the other maids. Rayanne, though deeply concerned that something was terribly wrong, just finished handing out the chore lists after making a few alterations. Rayanne picked up her own list and started on her rounds. She had been cleaning alone more lately, as she didn't want to be bothered with awkward questions about how it felt to be the new head maid.

She found herself in the foyer of the castle, where a guard was taking down names of the people waiting to see the King. It seemed every day the line got longer and longer and Rayanne was wondering why they even bothered. Her attitude had been cold lately, and everyone noticed.

She paid them no mind as she walked up the stairs. She passed by a few of the councilmen as they walked about. "I read in the periodical that the King has tightened security around the castle gate. More of those elites keep popping up and if you ask me, they seem to just be a waste. Why not just train the soldiers we have now to be Elites?" one asked.

"I think one has to be hand-picked to undergo Elite training. I hear it's vigorous and unmerciful. Most don't make it through." said the other.

"These new laws are starting to get out of hand. I don't think I can keep my seat on the council with a clear mind if these acts keep happening. Have you seen the conditions he's letting that Reaver get away with in the Industrial district? I swear I read every day about someone getting their hand chopped off in a machine or people winding up dead in the port." The first one remarked. The other one nodded and they both left the hallway unaware that Rayanne had heard them.

"Have these put up around the town. Send a few out to Brightwall as well. I want people aware that we are in need of soldiers." She heard the king shout from his study. Rayanne was supposed to clean in there, but decided to leave that area alone. As she walked in the opposite direction, she saw some soldiers leave the study with posters underneath their arms. She felt herself stopped by a gloved hand. She didn't feel shivers down her spine as she usually did. She had cut off any notion of feeling.

"Hello, my king…" Rayanne murmured, tightening her grip on her basket of cleaning supplies.

"I understand if you're not in the mood for talking, Little Maid." The King murmured softly. "Miss Marigold's death probably sent you into a deep, dark place. I felt that way when my mother died years ago. But you shouldn't close yourself off. You have duties to perform, yes…but you also have a duty to me."

Rayanne's eyes widened as King Logan's thumb rubbed its spot on Rayanne's shoulder. "My King…you mentioned, the day of Miss Marigold's…death, that I was to undergo my real training." Rayanne didn't see the smile crinkle onto King Logan's face as he turned her to face him. He motioned for her to follow him, which she did. He made sure no one was around before he closed and locked the study doors. Rayanne stood there, wondering what was going to happen.

"Little Maid…" oh, how Rayanne wished he'd stop calling her that. "…you know your place around here. I can see Miss Marigold, though as flawed as she was, taught you well. But she only taught you how to be a maid. Of course, I don't imagine she'd ever teach you how to…properly be mine…" King Logan smiled devilishly as he walked over to a small box in a chair in the corner of the room. "I have another gift for you. The summer months are coming up and I want you to be comfortable."

He looked over at Rayanne, who had no reaction. "Here…" King Logan gave Rayanne the box and watched her open it. "It's your new uniform." He said with a smile.

"But, I already have a uniform." Rayanne chirped, looking over the uniform. She noted it was short. Very short. "The skirt of this dress is too short."

Logan only nodded as he urged Rayanne to try it on. She noted there was no dressing guard for her to go behind and looked at the King as he sat down in a chair. Rayanne blushed and started to disrobe in front of him. She heard him chuckle softly at her blushing cheeks as the rest of her body started to blush as well. She started to slip on the uniform when Logan stopped her. "Slowly…" he muttered. Rayanne swallowed hard and slowly put the new uniform on.

It was shorter than Rayanne had anticipated. It barely covered her dress slip and her stockings where quite visible. If she bent over too much, anyone could see her panties. "Put on the apron that came with it." King Logan muttered as Rayanne reached into the box. The apron was short as well and had a tiny pocket in the corner. Rayanne also found a maid's cap and slipped it on as well. Rayanne slipped back into her shoes and stood before the King, still blushing.

King Logan got up and walked to Rayanne, grasping her tightly. "This is your uniform for the summer months. You'll only wear the other one during the winter and formal events. If I see you in it without my permission, you'll be punished, is that clear?"

Rayanne nodded as Logan made her stand in front of a mirror. Rayanne didn't know how to take in what she was wearing. She looked like the ladies that strolled the Old Quarter at night and she looked ashamed to even think such a thing. Rayanne never realized how long her legs were up until now. King Logan grasped her again and breathed in her scent. Rayanne wasn't sure how to feel at the moment.

"You belong to me, Little Maid. You will come to me whenever I ask for you and you will do so without question. Whenever I ask you something, you will give me an honest answer and I don't want to hear anything but that. The same goes for whenever one of my idiot councilmen asks you something. There are exceptions, like if someone asks if there is anything going on between us. Then, lie to your little heart's content. But until the day comes when we can formally announce ourselves to the world, you'll do as I say." King Logan smiled at Rayanne through the mirror. "Now, Little Maid…what do you have to say?"

Rayanne held back her tears and nodded softly. "Yes, My King…" she murmured, not moving. She could feel his hands sizing her up and she felt him press her against the mirror.

"I didn't hear you…" he scolded as he yanked Rayanne's panties down. Logan took in her scent and delighted at how moist she had unwittingly become at his very touch.

"Yes…YES, MY KING!" Rayanne shouted as she felt him enter her feverishly.

His motives, or why he was attracted to her specifically were unknown to Rayanne. But as he made her face him and held her up, bouncing her on his manhood, Rayanne couldn't help but look into his eyes. They focused on her, as if nothing else in this world mattered. His eyes pierced her very heart and made her blush deeper. Then, out of nowhere, a small smile crinkled upon his scarred lips. It wasn't a devious smile, nor was it a smile that let her know he was in control (though he was, and he'd point that out to her time and time again), it was a smile of sheer delight.

A smile Rayanne got whenever she was around Trent. A smile the Princess got whenever Elliot came for a visit. A smile the King would admit getting each time he finished a really good book. Rayanne returned the smile and held onto King Logan's neck tightly as they continued. Someone was smiling that way for her. She had seen Trent smile that way, but when the King smiled in such a manner, it made him look more human.

That is what decided it for Rayanne. If she was indeed falling for the King, like he intended her to do, this would be the moment it would start. Rayanne used to go over this part of her story over and over again in her mind for years to come until she decided this was the exact moment…that she started to fall in love with the King. Though, she wouldn't realize it for years. This look of humanity and not that of a King spiraling down an abyss of no return, that made Rayanne realize that there was something deeper to him.

When King Logan finished, he curled over her as they rested against a chair. "I will call upon you again, Little Maid…" he huffed as they both breathed heavily.

Eventually, Rayanne got used to the revealing uniform. The other maids seemed confused by it, though the soldiers walking the halls didn't seem to mind. Rayanne made a note to not bend over as much. Even the Elites, known for their statuesque stature gave Rayanne a second glance whenever she walked by. Of course, she avoided the main part of the castle all together whenever Reaver was reported to be around.

Oh, how she loathed that man. Whenever he was around, he'd bring his attendant, a man only referred to as Hatch (Rayanne would later learn his first name is Barry), who was just as lecherous as his boss. Rayanne didn't like showing anyone her mean streak, because when provoked enough, she had a nasty one. Being the head maid meant one had to have a degree of refinement and patience. Even before then, Rayanne had been taught to have a lot of patience. To see Rayanne lose her temper was a rare sight. Reaver was the only person alive that could make Rayanne's temper come out.

Rayanne had gotten used to being by herself now that she was the head maid. She found herself wandering the hallways one day when she heard gossip between some maids. Rayanne was about to interrupt them, telling them to get back to work when the contents of the gossip made her stop and listen in from her hiding space behind a barely closed door.

"Did you hear about that Reaver guy?" asked one of the maids.

"You'll have to be more specific, I hear a lot of things about Reaver." retorted the other maid.

"I heard he was given absolute control over Bowerstone Industrial. The King signed some papers and now Reaver calls all the shots in Industrial. I don't think it matters anymore to the King. Whatever gets more gold for those brutish Elites is better for him."

"People starving, forced to work in such horrible conditions. I've only heard stories, but I can tell by the looks on some of the people in Industrial, that those rumors are true."

"How would you know about the people of Industrial? We aren't allowed to leave the Castle without permission and even then Industrial is off limits to castle workers."

"Umm…err…well; some of those people come to Bowerstone Market to the pub. I can tell by their clothes they work in the factories."

"You might not want to let anyone hear that stammer of yours."

Rayanne waited until the maids finished their conversation to walk into the room to check on them. Rumors ran rampant around the castle and though Rayanne was doing her best not to pay any attention, some of them got the best of her. Soon, even more soldiers starting popping up and soon the King's workload doubled as well, which meant the servant's workload doubled as well.

Nothing but secrets was exchanged in the castle. Rayanne, who had one whopper of a secret herself, understood the need, but the King didn't seem to share her sentiments. Rayanne found herself listening in on another conversation, though this time it was between the King and some of his council. They were discussing what to do about the reaction of the new taxes by the citizens and the outrage of Logan letting Reaver have complete control over the Industrial district.

The councilmembers seemed a bit disgusted by the King's lack of concern and Rayanne could detect it, even if the King could not. She pretended to dust the same table while listening to the conversation on the other side of the door. Sir Walter seemed to be (even though reluctantly) on the King's side. Though, Walter had little to say in this matter.

"I don't care whose arm gets ripped off in what machine. As long as the work gets done." Rayanne heard the King shout.

"But your majesty, this surely has to concern you a bit…" stuttered one councilman.

Rayanne didn't hear a retort from the King. She moved out of the way as the councilmembers left the study, trying to hide their horrified looks. King Logan either ignored Rayanne or didn't know she was there, because he passed right by her with Sir Walter. "I want you to up my sister's training. I don't care if it gets in the way of her studies, I want her ready for anything." She heard Logan mumble as Sir Walter nodded somewhat confused. "I also want guards stationed outside her room."

Sir Walter seemed confused by this. He was about to ask why but decided against it. Rayanne continued to pretend to dust until she knew the King was gone. Once Rayanne figured the coast was clear, she made her way into the study to clean up.

How elderly council members made such a mess was a mystery to her. Papers strewn about everywhere and dishes from their tea littered the tables. She sighed and started getting to work. Despite having all the maids at her disposal, Rayanne preferred to work alone. This meant no one to question her odd new uniform and no one to ask her why the King wanted to speak with her alone so much. Rayanne was running out of excuses that sounded believable.

Picking up some papers, Rayanne didn't bother to read any of them. She put each of them into a pile and continued cleaning. She didn't notice the window that was just conveniently ajar as the subtle wind from outside blew the papers about. Rayanne caught each one except one as it floated wistfully towards the still semi-lit fireplace. She ran and caught it before it could hit the fire. She didn't know whether or not this piece of paper was important, but she didn't want to see how mad the King would get if it was.

Sighing softly, Rayanne took the piece of paper back to the pile and placed it on top. She wasn't sure what made her peek at the title of the page, but what she read made her blood run cold. She picked up the piece of paper again and read it to herself. "Execution orders…" she murmured. The list was longer than her daily chore lists and had twice as many names on it. Luckily, Rayanne didn't recognize any of the names. Curiosity peaking at this point, Rayanne took a look at the other papers.

Mostly invoices and work orders, only a few made Rayanne worry. "Increased guard presence requested in Brightwall, bandit problem beyond control…" she read aloud. Underneath the request was a giant "DENIED" stamp in red ink. She placed that piece of paper down and picked up another. "…increased measures for prisoner control at Ravenscar…" she read softly. That didn't have a stamp, so she assumed it was awaiting approval. She kept reading aloud the contents of the notice. "…no substantial proof as of yet, but there is a suspected coup in the works. Some prisoners have been strangely calm, but nothing too alarming. Most prisoners are doing as they are told, but there are still some troublemakers, as to be expected. Turner's ailment has taken a turn for the worse, so he is no longer causing problems, but…"

"Still cleaning, Little Maid?" asked a silky voice behind Rayanne. Rayanne hid the piece of paper behind her back and turned around the face King Logan. He stood there, eying her up and down. "I guess even you have a spark of curiosity to you." he growled, turning Rayanne around and grabbing the piece of paper.

His change in demeanor lately had even Rayanne questioning his rule. Though, she didn't do it out loud. "You know, I saw your little friend, Trent, earlier reporting for orders…" The way he said that struck Rayanne's heart. "He seems like a promising young man. To be young and foolhardy, I guess. Most of his regiment has been stationed out in Mourningwood, though only he and a few others stayed behind. Soon enough, I probably won't need him patrolling the city…" Rayanne just stared at King Logan as he smirked while looking into the fire. "He seems to have taken a shine to you. He asked one of the maids for you earlier. I think he might still be in the foyer…"

Logan didn't stop Rayanne when she slowly left the study and made her way to the main part of the castle. He slowly followed her, not making it obvious he was tailing her. From a doorway, he watched as Rayanne happily approached Trent, who was starting to leave before Rayanne came up. Logan, though disgusted to his very core at the lighthearted conversation between the two, listened as best he could. Was a King truly jealous of a lowly soldier? Perhaps he was, but a King could provide so much more and he had resources at his disposal. Of course, Logan learned long ago that he could manipulate any situation given to him.

"So, how's the new head maid?" Trent asked, rubbing his arms a bit. He could hear Rayanne tell him, but all he noticed was her new uniform. Logan could tell Trent was eying Rayanne. Logan, despite what he told Rayanne earlier, had no intention of sending Trent anywhere. In fact, he planned to keep Trent very close by.

"It's pretty good. Most of the maids don't seem to care, though there is opposition from Abigail and Beatrice. That was expected, though." Rayanne chirped as Trent reached for her hand. Watching this made Logan seethe with anger. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much. Miss Marigold's death…"

Trent smiled and held her hand tightly. "You don't need to explain anything." Trent trembled a bit, trying not to think about his part in Miss Marigold's execution. "…one of the only times I was hoping for a crooked shot. I know it's been hard on you. Miss Marigold's true self was disgusting, but I know she was the closest thing to a mother you ever had. If there is anything you need, Rayanne…"

"Actually…" Rayanne chirped, looking around. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a pen and paper. She wrote something down and gave it to Trent. "Come see me tonight in my room. Being head maid gives me a little more leeway around the castle. This is a slip of permission; just show it to anyone who stops you. We can talk then. I have some things I want to discuss with you."

Was Logan going to keep his guards on alert? No. Was he going to forbid Rayanne from ever seeing this man again? No. Was he going to transfer Trent? No.

Logan decided to let Rayanne know who she belonged to, body and soul. He knew she was falling in love with Trent, but that she also was starting to feel something for Logan. Logan decided, out of all the things his power could give him and of all the things he wanted, he would have Rayanne all to himself. But he wanted to see how far Trent and Rayanne would go before giving each other up.

That evening, Rayanne noticed the guards were oddly absent from the hallway with her room in it. She seemed disturbed by the silence but even more disturbed by the soft light coming from her room. She started to panic, thinking she had left a candle burning and rushed to her room. Rayanne yanked the door open and found no blaze. She found her sheets replaced with red sheets and equally red rose petals all over the bed and floor. The candles burned slowly as the shadow of the king sitting in a chair danced along the floor.

His hands together as if praying (though Rayanne knew Logan wasn't a praying man), Logan sat there. Rayanne closed her door and just stared at the figure of the king. "I'm beginning to think you don't want to honor our agreement, Little Maid." He murmured as he stood. Rayanne didn't get a chance to say anything as the King rose from his spot and made his way to her. What started as a soft caress along her arm turned into a fierce grab as Logan yanked her near him. "I have been busy, and I must admit, I have been neglecting you. Things are progressing faster than I hoped. Unrest in my Kingdom, foreign dangers, and other horrible things keep me awake at night and away from you."

As broken and demented he was becoming, Logan still looked somewhat human to Rayanne. Logan walked over to Rayanne's bed and picked up a small box. He handed it to her softly, which she opened slowly. Inside was a necklace made of odd black stones. Logan helped her put it on. "These stones are made from pieces of the Tattered Spire."

Rayanne's eyes jerked open as she tried to remove the necklace. Logan wouldn't let her. "The power within these stones is gone, but they symbolize everything we are going to make together. You are the only truly obedient subordinate I have left, but your duties go so much farther than that of a maid…" It must have been when her eyes were closed, because she didn't see Logan lock her door. The necklace was beautiful, but whenever she touched the biggest stone, she felt some unworldly power and it frightened her. She could have sworn she heard the Seer's voice echo within it.

The stone entranced Rayanne to the point where she didn't even notice the king stripping himself down. She stopped staring at the stone when she felt him yanking off her uniform and passionately kissing her neck. All the remained on Rayanne was her stockings and the necklace. She was starting to think King Logan had a stocking fetish. She pressed her against the door began caressing her skin. She felt him grab her behind with both hands and squeeze both cheeks as he lifted them to get a better look at her nethers.

Trent, having shown the guards his slip of permission, happily started toward the wing with Rayanne's room. He had with him a bouquet of roses, the most he could afford. He knew his gift wouldn't be as fancy as the ones she kept mysteriously getting, but he felt she liked his gifts more. Still in uniform, Trent fixed himself up as he made his way up the stairs and through the doorway to the almost deserted wing. He wasn't sure what she wanted to discuss, but he was happy that she was seeing him again.

Since Miss Marigold's death, Rayanne had been distant from him and just about everyone, except the King, who lately had need of her more than one should need a maid. Trent was happy that Rayanne was feeling better and he had a feeling his gift would intensify it.

Logan pressed Rayanne against her door as he started to softly lick her nethers. Her juices were sweet like the nectar of a fruit and he devoured her. He knew Trent was coming, they could both hear his footsteps. Rayanne tried her hardest not to moan. She softly pleaded with the King to stop, but he kept on feasting. Rayanne heard a knock on her door. This made Logan feast more heartily.

"Rayanne?" Trent shouted through the door. Rayanne dug her nails into the wood of the door as Logan lapped up her soft orgasm. "Rayanne, it's me Trent. You said you had something to discuss with me. Did you already go to bed?"

"Go ahead…answer him…" Logan whispered as he stood up and grasped Rayanne's hips.

Rayanne tried to compose herself as the King positioned himself. "Y-yes, Trent…I'm here. I'm sorry, but I'm…not feeling quite well…" She blushed and winced softly as the tip of the King's manhood slowly entered her nether region, though she could tell he was doing this on purpose. "I didn't…mean for you to come out for nothing."

Logan smiled a demented smile and finally forced himself within Rayanne. Her nails scrapped the door and she tried to keep her moans quiet. She didn't want Trent to know her horrible secret. "Naughty, naughty, Little Maid; lying to the poor boy like that." Logan whispered, though she could have sworn it was a hiss. Logan began to slowly pump his hips into the poor maid. "Why don't you tell him the truth? Why don't you tell him how much you enjoy being in the King's company…"

Rayanne shook her head as Trent knocked again. Trent's pleading sounded serious. "Are you sure? I could stay and make sure you're alright. I could go get the castle doctor…"

"N-no, Trent…I j-just…oh my...need my rest." Rayanne huffed as Logan continued to pump faster. Rayanne knew he was lavishing in her embarrassment and smiled as he gripped her tighter, pushing her against the door harder. Rayanne's breasts pressed against the door as she attempted to quiet her moans. "C-come…come back tomorrow. I promise I'll be feeling better…"

Trent couldn't hear what was really going on, but something in his head told him something wasn't right. "Alright, Rayanne. I'll see you tomorrow then…" Trent placed the bouquet of roses beside her door and started walking away. When he was far away enough, Trent hid in the doorway of an empty room and waited.

King Logan pumped faster, making Rayanne moan softly. "He's a bright boy…I think I should promote him. Maybe I'll put in a good word for him to join the Elites. He'd definitely be around more often. But their training isn't for the weak of heart." Logan lifted Rayanne up and started bouncing her on his manhood. Rayanne hated that she liked this and didn't refuse him. The aroma from her nethers drove the King wild as he bounced her faster and faster. "Shame on you, for stringing him along…" he impaled her hard each time he murmured "…naughty…naughty Little Maid…"

As she bounced, so did the necklace. Its wicked stone shined softly in the candlelight and even outshined the charm bracelet. "I want you…" he growled, his own orgasm closing in. "I want you, all of you. I want your body, I want your soul, and I want your heart." Logan nipped at Rayanne's neck. "Do not love me like a servant loves a king…love me the way a woman loves a man! I want you to get used to being close to me. Because I am going to start preparing you for your greatest duty very soon. Do you know what that is, Little Maid?"

Rayanne shook her head as she felt her orgasm reaching its peak.

"Your greatest duty…will be to sire me a healthy heir…" Logan semi-shouted as he finished loudly with a strained grunt. Rayanne's eyes widened as she finally achieved full orgasm along with him. She was hoping she had heard him wrong. "Of course…that won't happen for a while."

Logan carried Rayanne to her bed and left her there. "When the time comes, I'll let you know." Logan caressed Rayanne's body as she breathed heavily. "You're…so beautiful. I was right to make you head maid. Miss Marigold was getting on in years. If it hadn't been for her betrayal, she probably would have kept that office until she died. Don't worry, Little Maid…you'll learn to love me."

Logan got up and got dressed. "I will call upon you again, Little Maid…" He straightened himself up as he left her room. His foot softly nudged something and he looked down. "How adorable." He murmured, picking up the bouquet of roses Trent left. His rival was a lowly soldier and he grin sinisterly. He tossed the roses to the ground and slowly made his way out of the empty wing.

As soon as he was sure Logan was gone, Trent came from his hiding place. Somewhat shocked at the person he just saw leaving Rayanne's room; Trent didn't waste any time making his way to Rayanne. He yanked the door open and found Rayanne, sobbing half-naked on the edge of her bed. She didn't question Trent when he ran to her and grasped her tightly in his arms. She was just happy that he was there. "Trent, there is something I need to tell you, but I'm afraid it will make you think less of me…"

Insisting nothing could make him think less of her, Trent urged Rayanne to tell him the truth. When she told him every last horrible detail, including her fear of starting to fall in love with the King, Trent only held Rayanne tighter and quelled her tears. His biggest rival for Rayanne's heart was the King of Albion.

Trent certainly had his work cut out for him.

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha, my loves!<strong>

**Well, if you've been keeping up, you'll notice my other big project, "Reconstructing Humanity" has ended. I'm saddened yet happy at the same time. I have more time for other projects, but I miss working on it already. It's bittersweet to say the least.**

**So, I'm thinking about posting these to deviantArt, like what I've been doing with "Reconstructing Humanity" but I don't know if the M rating will fly there. We'll see, okie?**

**Now, the story starts its way to its fiery conclusion. The events of the game will start happening soon so stay tuned for that, okie my doves? I promise you'll love it. Some kind of sick demented love triangle, going on here. Crazy!**

**As always, review and be merry, my friends!**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	7. Surprises

_A Maid's Story_

Surprises

_The Old Lady didn't tell the Journalist the last part, but it played in her mind over and over again. If he was going to publish this story, she wanted to leave that part out for personal reasons. The Journalist scribbled in his notepad as the Old Lady served dinner._

_It was a simple roast dinner with steamed vegetables and wine. It smelled delicious and it had the young journalist waiting in anticipation. The only thing he had eaten was the terrible breakfast at the Inn he was staying at and the smell of the roast made his mouth water. "It's Liam's favorite meal. My husband liked it a lot, too. Liam hates steamed vegetables, but he eats them because he idolized that man. Oh, whenever I make this meal I think of my late husband and how he used to joke and tell me he could smell it from the store."_

_The Journalist nodded as the Old Lady made his plate, her plate, and an extra plate for her son. "Is Liam bringing anyone?" he asked._

_The Old Lady chuckled softly. "Oh no, but I wish he would, though. He's a good boy, but he feels the need to look after me like I was the child and not him. A lot of the village women fawn over him, but he's too preoccupied with the store and looking after me. I wish he'd stop worrying so much and find himself a good wife. I'd like to live long enough to be a grandmother."_

_The Old Lady sat down and cleared her throat. "We should probably finish up the story before Liam gets home. He hates me telling this story."_

* * *

><p><em>Rayanne,<em>

_Things outside the castle aren't bad, but I fear something is stirring in the city. Of course, who knows how long that will last? As for the question you posed last letter, talk of rebellion has quieted down, thankfully. Apparently, it wasn't just a bunch of teenagers, but there are rumors among the guards. I can't say anymore without implicating anyone, but just be careful who you trust._

_I have some news for you. I recently filled out some transfer papers and I hope to hear back from my superiors soon. If I am transferred, I want to go back to Brightwall, where I was born and raised. I miss the mountain air and I know I can do some good out there instead of dealing with drunken brawls and trying to keep the citizens of Bowerstone from panicking._

_If I am transferred, I want you to go with me. I can't hide it and I'm pretty sure it's obvious by now, but I feel very strongly for you, Rayanne. I've felt this way for years and I think now might be a good time for us to start a life together. I hate how the King has cut you and the other maids off from the outside world. I wonder who he thinks he's protecting. _

_Rayanne, I have to see you, even if it's just for a moment. You said the royal family owns you, but I know your heart is still free. As always, I will wait by the clock tower after my shift is done. I wait there every night, in hopes I get to see you. I hope we get to see each other soon._

_With Love,_

_Trent_

Rayanne rarely received mail, but when she did, it was from Trent. Folding up the letter, Rayanne placed it inside the jeweled keepsake box with the others. Maybe her body did belong to King Logan (whom she hadn't seen in quite some time), but who her heart belonged to was still up for debate. Rayanne got up from her bed after sliding the keepsake box back into her nightstand drawer. She couldn't say she missed the attention, but it was nice to be able to get some work done.

She considered the prospect of leaving quite seriously. Rayanne had never been out of Bowerstone to her knowledge but the thought of leaving servitude and starting over somewhere was appealing. It didn't matter how she got there, as long as she left everything behind. Sometimes at night, she still heard the Seer mocking her with her prophecy. Rayanne was starting to wonder where her great reward was.

She was like a rock. Rayanne felt so numb, she didn't even acknowledge the King when he came to her room now. It became routine, at least every two days, depending on the severity of the atmosphere around Bowerstone Castle. She doubted he was sincere about what he said last time, and it was probably the heat of the moment that made him proclaim that _she_ of all people would bear him a child. Of course, as of late, the routine had been interrupted and Rayanne was actually free to get her chores done.

King Logan, despite his nighttime meanderings to Rayanne's room, didn't seem to go anywhere anymore. He became paranoid about everyone around him, even his most loyal advisor, Sir Walter. Rayanne noted she had been seeing less and less of Sir Walter in the throne room as of late. Whether due to Logan's reluctance to adhere Sir Walter's advice on growing tensions in and out of the castle, or the King having an agenda of his own was beyond Rayanne's comprehension.

Truthfully, she didn't really care.

There was something stirring in the castle and Rayanne didn't like it one bit. Deep down, she was starting to get paranoid herself. Whenever the King would summon her to his chambers or the study, she wondered if everyone watching her pass by in her short head maid's uniform knew her dirty secret and what they said behind her back. She wondered if they knew she wasn't going into the study to clean, or that the late night calls to the King's room weren't to change his sheets. Rayanne started to hope for an early winter so she could put on her regular uniform instead of wearing the embarrassing short one.

Since learning her secret, Rayanne had been seeing less of Trent. Not intentionally, of course. Trent patrolled the city and only came back to the castle to receive orders from superiors. Of course, even that was rare nowadays and Rayanne found herself hoping he'd come around, even if it was just for a visit. The night she told him about her secret unwilling affair with the king, Trent promised he wouldn't judge her. Whether or not he was actually doing so was up for debate.

Two men in Rayanne's life now vied for her heart, and she wasn't sure who was winning. King Logan had an entire kingdom under him and could provide for her. Trent was a guard and though he owned a home in the city, he couldn't give Rayanne the things the king could.

One particular day that Rayanne remembered quite well was the day she believed things started to unravel. Not just for the king, but for her as well.

Rayanne found herself cleaning near the study again. She decided to not even bother looking into the room and just went about her business. As she left the hallway for the grand staircase, the crowd of people waiting to see the King caught her attention. The crowds were getting bigger and bigger by the day and sometimes King Logan didn't have time to see everyone. He tried, though. Rayanne had sat in on one of the meetings and noted that all Logan did was nod and grunt as the poor sap in front of him pleaded his case

"Excuse me, Miss!" shouted the man at the front of the line. He wore ragged overalls which reminded Rayanne of the gardener's uniform and he smelled like he had been rolling around in a swamp. Rayanne turned her head and faced him. "You of all people must understand the plight of the people of Albion! We must fight to eradicate poverty in Bowerstone and the entire kingdom! As a servant to the royal family, you must know what it feels like to be stepped on constantly. Ignored, ordered around, and made to wear such humiliating garments!" the man pointed to Rayanne's uniform with his clipboard. "Please, sign our petition so your voice can be heard!" The man held the clipboard up to Rayanne, with a hopeful smile.

Rayanne admired this man's dedication, but pitied his foolishness. Signing that petition would be a death sentence. Rayanne sighed and gently moved the clipboard out of her face. She continued her walk, ignoring the crowd behind her yelling horrible things to her, such as "poor brainwashed little fool" and "if you only knew the true king…"

That was the thing, though. Rayanne knew the true king, and she knew he wouldn't be happy to see her name on a petition against him.

Deciding to check on the other maids, Rayanne passed by Princess Robin and Sir Walter as they made their way to the training room. The Princess waved to Rayanne, but she pretended not to notice. "Walter, what is happening to all the servants?" she whispered as they made their way past the crowd. Sir Walter shook his head and urged her to follow.

Rayanne passed by Elliot on her way and saw him give her a look. She hadn't seen the Princess's "friend" in quite some time, and though she attempted to greet him, he only grunted toward her. He looked like he knew something and was preparing himself for the worst. The feeling gnawed at Rayanne as she looked for the other maids. Much to her disappointment, she found the maids grouped together in the garden. "What's going on? Why aren't you all doing your chores?" she snapped, getting closer.

Trina turned around with a look of shear horror on her face. "Rayanne, something bad is happening at the front of the castle." She whimpered. "We wanted to be away from the guards when bad stuff started happening."

Shaking her head, Rayanne made her way back to the castle. Such paranoia only annoyed Rayanne, though she found some truth in it as the sounds of shouting became louder the closer she got to the main hallway. Hiding near the hallway that led to the dining room, Rayanne watched as the guards near the front of the castle tried to keep order. They had very little luck.

Some were holding up signs, some shook their fists in the air, but they all shouted in anger, sadness, and determination. Rayanne kept herself hidden as the guards settled the crowd (with warning shots) and rounded them up, forcing them up to the throne room. Rayanne knew this wouldn't end well.

She kept herself in that spot in the hallway of the dining room, pretending to clean as the Elites marched the Princess and Elliot into the throne room. A few moments later, she watched two Elites lead a group of sobbing citizens out the front of the castle. Rayanne then saw one Elite yank Elliot by his sleeve out of the castle as well.

It wasn't until that night that Rayanne could feel something changing. While the castle slept, she once again found herself in the King's bed. She had heard about what happened in the throne room and she didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to expect when the King practically yanked her into his bedroom and once again released his frustration on (and into) Rayanne. As she turned over and wrapped herself tightly in the King's silk sheets, Rayanne wondered softly how the King could force his sister to make such a terrible decision.

If it came down to it, who would she choose? Trent over some nameless citizens? What was the greater good now?

The hour turned late as Rayanne stared at the ceiling of the posh bedroom. Logan had fallen asleep almost instantly after he was done and now Rayanne sat in his bed, with him but alone. Rayanne sat up and covered herself with the sheets. The man sleeping beside her had just earlier that day sentenced a group of people to death with little provocation. Rayanne tried to be outraged but it did little good. She sighed softly and tried to slink out of bed. She felt a hand on her hip as she attempted to get up. "I don't remember giving you permission to leave my chambers, Little Maid…"

The storm was still going on outside, and lightning lit the room up as Logan laid Rayanne down next to him.

Life around the castle was changing, whether Rayanne wanted it or not. In the early morning, after she snuck back to her bedroom and pretended to get ready for the day, she heard stomping outside her door. She opened it, only to be shoved to the side by an Elite, who was running to catch up to his comrades. Straightening herself out, Rayanne patiently walked to the main hallway, where her fellow maids stood in fear. Noelle was the first to notice Rayanne.

"Oh, Rayanne, it's terrible!" Noelle shouted as she and the other maids (including the Little Maids) approached her. Before Rayanne could ask what the fuss was about, Noelle directed the maids to the side, as not to get into any soldier's way. "We all woke up this morning to the Elites yanking the door to the servant's quarters open. All of us were yanked from our beds and forced to get dressed as they ransacked our rooms! Almost everything was torn apart!"

Stunned, Rayanne's expression urged Noelle to continue, but she only started to cry. "The Princess is missing, as is Sir Walter and Jasper." Beatrice replied. It was rare for Beatrice to say anything before Abigail, but it seemed Abigail had nothing to say. "Every room is being ransacked by the Elites looking for evidence. King Logan has put the castle in a state of emergency. No one is to enter or leave the castle without his permission. That means we're all stuck here until further notice."

"Everyone is saying that Sir Walter killed Jasper and kidnapped the Princess and that he was a rebel spy and…" Trina tried to keep her own terrified tears down as soldiers ran around.

Thinking fast, Rayanne corralled the maids near her. "Look, it is obvious something's happening, but we need to pretend everything is business as usual. In times of panic, people are wrongfully accused and sent to places where they _never come back_." Rayanne warned. The maids looked at each other. "So, let's not give the King or the guards any reason to suspect us of anything. None of us did anything wrong, so let's start cleaning up the mess these guards are making and say nothing to anyone."

Though Trina and Noelle nodded in agreement, along with the other maids, Abigail and Beatrice looked at Rayanne suspiciously. When the Maids departed to start their rounds, Abigail took Beatrice aside. "Rayanne knows something she's not telling the rest of us. I told you she couldn't be trusted. I have a feeling Miss Marigold was right."

Beatrice rarely dismissed Abigail, but today she had something to say. "Everyone is up to something, Abigail." was her only answer as she walked away. Abigail folded her arms and watched Beatrice walk away.

_A Few Weeks Later_

The nights became colder as more news of uprising in the countryside reached the castle. It was moving from the mountains toward the marshes and the King wanted to make sure it didn't reach the city. He looked at the notices and reports with great disdain. Angry, Logan threw them into the face of the young soldier that delivered them. With a snarl, King Logan yelled for the young man to leave his sight. The young soldier ran from the War Room as fast as his feet could carry him.

No one, not even the highest ranking officials, were allowed in the War Room without King Logan's permission. Of course, Rayanne was the exception. Rayanne poured more tea (Scotch for the King) for the group sitting around the map table as the council spoke in whispered tones. Sir Walter's chair was bare, and seeing it that way saddened Rayanne a bit. The War Room's map table seemed to be the focus of the meeting. She didn't know what the pieces on the table meant, but it wasn't for her to know. She was happy to be back in her regular uniform and pouring tea. She tried not to listen to the council, and placed the tea pot back on the trolley of treats she was in charge of today. The King didn't take any of his meals in the dining room anymore.

"Should we be speaking around this…maid?" asked one of the advisors, eying Rayanne suspiciously.

Looking somewhat offended, King Logan ignored the advisor's comment and waited for the notices and reports to be stacked in front of him again. "Whatever can be said in front of me can be said in front of Rayanne. She's probably the only truly loyal subject I have left other than you lot. Now back to the matter at hand. Any word on the whereabouts of Sir Walter, or Jasper, or my sister?" the King asked his advisors anxiously.

"No word yet, Sir. We've had scouts scour the kingdom and it seems whenever they have a lead, it turns out to be a dead end." One of the advisors replied. King Logan nodded, picking up the wanted posters he had commissioned. "Whether or not Sir Walter kidnapped the Princess is still up for debate, my lord. We have yet to find any evidence that she left unwillingly. Our scouts have reported a young woman and an old man traveling around the mountains together, but they can't be sure if it's them or not."

King Logan, having heard this story before, sunk lower in his chair. "Then until we find out the truth, I want them treated as fugitives." King Logan called the Captain of the Guard in and had his advisors leave. He waited until Rayanne was out of earshot, taking the tea cart out of the war room. "I want all your guards on alert. Send word that if Sir Walter is found, he is to be killed on sight."

Rayanne heard this and swallowed deeply.

"The Princess is the only one I want brought back alive. If even one hair on her head is out of place, it will be _your_ head. Is that clear?" King Logan glared at his captain, who nodded and left after saluting. Rayanne left in the wake of the captain leaving. "Little Maid…" she heard a voice behind her shout. Rayanne, as if by instinct, left the cart where it was and trudged back into the war room. "I want it to be clear that nothing you hear ever leaves this room." He murmured. Rayanne nodded and started back for her cart.

She stopped midway and turned to King Logan, who was going back into the War Room. "My King, if I may have a minute of your time…" Rayanne murmured, leaving the treat trolley where it was.

"I have all the time in the world for you, Rayanne." King Logan's smile did little for Rayanne, but she decided a long time ago that the King's words were just that.

Rayanne walked into the War Room, with Logan shutting the doors behind her. Rayanne cleared her throat and took something from her apron pocket. She handed the piece of paper to King Logan and watched him eye it up and down. His eyes jutted open and he glared at Rayanne. "It's a…request for permission for the maids to leave the castle tonight, my king." Rayanne chirped.

King Logan wasted no time tearing up the slip and letting it drop on the floor in a little snowfall of pieces. "The fact that you even ask to leave the castle is an insult, Little Maid." Logan made his way to the map table and traced his fingers along the side. "Everyone is on high alert and you want to leave the castle? That's pretty suspicious, if you don't mind me saying."

Backing toward the door, Rayanne reached for the doorknob but couldn't find it. "It's a simple request, my king." She chirped. "The castle has been in such turmoil the last few weeks the maids have been unable to get their work done completely. Everyone is panicking and the maids are taking the brunt of it. More messes to clean up, the nobles and the councilmen running us ragged, and those Elites that seem to take pleasure in harassing us whenever they feel like it."

"I will take to the captain of the guard about the Elites, but no one is to leave this castle." King Logan didn't even look at Rayanne. "You all have a duty to the royal family, and I will see to it that you all do your jobs. There is talk of spies and rebellion, and I don't want anything getting out of the castle." Logan slowly turned to Rayanne. "Your duty to me hasn't even begun yet, Little Maid. I can't risk you running off with that guard…"

Rayanne's eyes widened. "You…you think that's why I want to leave the castle for a night? To see Trent?" Rayanne tried not to make it sound like he was accusing her of running away.

Logan reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pile of letters. "You'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise." Logan plopped the papers on the map table. Rayanne raced over and picked them up. There, on the table, sat her letters from Trent. Though there was nothing incriminating in them (Trent knew writing letters to the castle, no matter who it was for, was risky), Rayanne's fear still grew. "Have you confessed your love to him? Does he know about us?" Logan faced Rayanne with anger in his eyes, but said nothing as the fire in Rayanne's own eyes ignited. She just blurted out the first thing she could think of.

"Who do you think you're protecting by keeping us here?" she shouted. "You have no right to order those brutes to go through our personal belongings and you had no right to take those personal letters! You have no right to keep us trapped here like animals!"

Logan glared down at Rayanne and approached her. "You ungrateful little wretch!" he shouted. "After all I've done for you, you shout at me like I'm a spoiled child!"

"I am not the one who did wrong, your majesty!" Rayanne shouted back. "If you want to send me to the dungeons, go ahead! Send me to the headsman's block! Have Trent and his men shoot me down like a cornered animal, just like you did to Miss Marigold in that 'trial'. But I will not let you treat me or my maids like animals!"

The back of Logan's gloved hand met Rayanne's cheek, sending her to the floor and her letters into the air. "You need to collect yourself, Little Maid." King Logan stood over Rayanne as the letters slowly rained down around her. "I believe you forget who you are talking to and who you belong to. I will not hesitate to put you in your place if need be. I will put those other maids in their place as well, if you force my hand to strike you again."

Rayanne shook her head wildly as she regained her composure. "Good. Remember your place here, Little Maid, and speak of this to no one. I will call upon you soon." Logan called an Elite into the war room and had him take Rayanne back to her room. "I want her watched tonight." King Logan commanded. "Have a guard stationed outside her room at all times. She has given me reason to be weary of her actions."

Love or not, Logan came to her room later and once again (after dismissing the Elite outside her room), put Rayanne in her place. Some nights he was tender, stroking her hair as she lay beside him after an hour or so of passionate love making. Other nights, he was dominating, grabbing her and forcing himself upon her with feverish lust and just leaving her there when he was done. Tonight, as if pleading for forgiveness, he moaned his apologies as he had his way with her again. In the morning, her letters were returned to her, though out of order and bound in string.

A few nights after that encounter, Rayanne sat in her room, contemplating what to do. She couldn't put the other maids in danger, but she couldn't stay in this room all night. She was starting to fear what was going to happen if she did not see Trent soon. Something was telling her she had to see him. Not out of matters of the heart, but that something was stirring in the land and Trent needed to know. She couldn't abandon the maids when the threat of something happening to them was imminent. But this odd need to see Trent wasn't going away.

But the real problem would be leaving the castle unnoticed. Even if she got passed the guards in the main part of the castle, she'd never make it passed the guards in the courtyard. Rayanne sighed softly, remembering the garden was being patrolled and that the garden gates were now chained shut. "…by the order of King Logan…" Rayanne murmured, lying back on her bed. She decided to just let it go and get some sleep. She wandered over to her wardrobe and opened it to get her nightgown.

The sound of a draft hitting wood welcomed her. Rayanne never thought much of that sound, seeing as the castle was old and even the floorboards made weird noises. She often thought this wardrobe was oddly placed, seeing as it was right beside the bed and not against the wall where the vanity was. To Rayanne, it didn't make much sense. But then again, she was a maid, not an interior designer. Rayanne reached for the hanger her nightgown was on and accidently snagged the hook on a lower (and Rayanne thought pretty useless) hanger beam. As she pulled it free, Rayanne heard an odd clicking sound and then watched as the back of the wardrobe opened like two grand doors.

Pushing all her clothes out of the way, Rayanne peeked in. Before her, was a dark passage way and a slight draft of cold air. "Well, this explains the draft noises." She murmured, going to find a candle. After changing into some more casual clothes (as not to get her uniform dusty) and lighting her lone candle, Rayanne took a deep breath and made her way through.

The passage way was indeed old, probably around the time of the old hero monarch, or older. Rayanne, whose only means of defending herself was the candle, noticed that the passageway went straight for a while and then curved sharply and then came to a set of stone stairs. After going down these stairs, the passageway became a dirt path and went straight. Towards the end, Rayanne found another door. She tried to open it but noticed it was locked. As if being told, Rayanne looked to her left and found a key on a hook. It had a little tag on it that said, "To Rayanne".

"To me?" Rayanne asked herself softly. The handwriting was Miss Marigold's, and it looked no more than a year or so old. "She must have known the King and his goons were closing in on her. Maybe she put this here as a precaution before…" Rayanne waved the thought out of her head and picked the key off its hook. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly.

As the door opened, Rayanne was met with the sound of crickets chirping. She opened the door wider and checked where she was. The doorway led to an alleyway in the marketplace!

"So this is how Miss Marigold got information in and out of the castle all those years without detection." Rayanne murmured, placing the key in her pocket. She brought her shawl close and closed the door. "That secret passage way must stretch for miles! People must think those doors are to a cellar or something. Oh, Miss Marigold you clever old bat!" Rayanne, after making sure the coast was clear, decided to have a quick look around before heading back into the passage. She debated whether or not to tell the other maids, though she was sure they were eager to leave as well.

But information like this is valuable to a certain King who is paranoid of everyone, even himself. Rayanne could imagine herself being dragged off to the gallows with the other maids while Abigail and Beatrice counted out their coin. No, she decided to keep this a secret until the time was right. Rayanne stepped out onto the cobblestone road and looked around. For the first time since Miss Marigold died, Rayanne was outside the castle grounds and headed toward the Marketplace. It was still evening.

Turning her thin shawl into a hood so no one would recognize her, Rayanne did the one thing she had wanted to do for so long. She made her way through the crowds making their way into the pub and found the clock tower with someone waiting underneath. "Trent!" she shouted, waving her hand.

Trent, in his regular clothes, looked up and beamed happily as he ran to Rayanne. They both hugged each other tightly. "Rayanne! I thought I'd never see you again! How…?"

"I'll show you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone." Rayanne warned. Trent nodded and let Rayanne lead the way. After making their way passed the drunks and making sure no guards were around, Rayanne took him to the door. "I found it by accident. It looks like a regular locked up cellar, but in reality it's a secret passage. It was probably put there in case the old monarch or any of her subjects needed to make a hasty escape, but now I believe this is how Miss Marigold had been sneaking information and such out of the castle undetected for so many years."

Scratching his peach fuzzy chin, Trent nodded and opened one of the doors. He closed it and watched Rayanne lock it using her key. "I believe Miss Marigold was going to tell me about it before she died. Before she was caught as a spy, I think her real plan was to escape with all the maids, but then I think she discovered my…horrible secret and decided that even out of the castle, I wouldn't be safe."

Trent took Rayanne's hand and led her away. "Rayanne, come with me." he urged, leading the way.

Through the streets, over the bridge, and passed some food stalls, Trent finally stopped at a house. "My humble abode, my lady." Trent opened the door and held it for Rayanne, who giggled softly. It was a simple dwelling, but it seemed spacious enough. With the living space downstairs and upstairs a bedroom, it was a typical home for anyone living in Bowerstone. Rayanne took off her shawl and placed it on the coat stand. She had never seen Trent's home before, but Rayanne was impressed.

"It's not much, considering. But it's perfect for a single guy with nothing but time and money on his hands. I seem to have a little too much of both." Trent took off his own jacket and placed it on the coat stand. "If only I had a sweetheart to share my home with and spend my gold on…"

Rayanne giggled softly and sat down in a chair near the fireplace. "You have a nice home, Trent." Rayanne murmured, as Trent got the fire going. "I wish I could live here with you."

"Then why don't you?" asked Trent, as he went to make them something to eat.

"I can't abandon the other maids. I don't know if Miss Marigold was indeed protecting us, but I know I have to. The king has made it very clear that he intends to 'put the others in their place' should I ever try to speak out against him." Rayanne graciously accepted the tea that Trent brought over. "Being out tonight was more on a whim than anything. I probably can't stay much longer, but I just had to see you."

Trent sighed and nodded. "Rayanne…I got the okay to transfer." Trent announced. Rayanne's eyes shot open before she could even sip her tea. "It was approved faster than I thought it would be. I'll be in the mountains before the next winter comes. So, I have about a year or so to get my affairs in order. I know it's a lot to pin on you now, but I figured I wouldn't get another chance to tell you, seeing as you didn't respond to my last letter. I was scared the king would forbid any letters that weren't addressed to him from entering the castle."

Rayanne put her tea down and stood up. "The way things have been going, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened next. The maids look at me for direction, but to be honest, I'm sort of making it up as I go along. I doubt Miss Marigold had to deal with this, but I imagine she wouldn't know what to do either. I miss her more and more each day. What I wouldn't give to have her back, shouting orders like she used to. Sometimes, I do think about leaving the castle, but I can't abandon the others. If I leave, King Logan will take out his anger on them. I can't have that."

With a smile, Trent knew what he had to do to make Rayanne feel better. As if the spirits were telling him to, Trent took Rayanne into his arms and kissed her deeply. Probably not the best thing to do at this moment, but he couldn't think of anything else. Not that Rayanne was refusing him. She was so used to King Logan's kisses that Trent's was a welcome change indeed. Something about Trent's kiss was different. It wasn't a feverish kiss full of pent of aggression. It was something passionate, as if it had waited so long for no one but Rayanne.

As the kiss finished, Rayanne blinked softly and smile. "I guess I could stay for another cup of tea…" she giggled. "…but I insist you show me the rest of your home, first…"

With that, Trent took Rayanne's hand and led her upstairs.

In the early hours of the morning, after making sure no guards were around, Rayanne snuck back into the castle through the tunnel. Her knees were wobbly and her face was red. Her night with Trent was wonderful. While she didn't actually expect it to go as far as it did, Rayanne wasn't complaining. When Trent took her into his arms and made passionate love to her, Rayanne didn't know what to think. Rayanne made sure she closed the secret doors tightly and sat on her bed. It was already early morning, but Rayanne wasn't tired at all.

Where King Logan was aggressive, Trent was gentle. Where King Logan was possessive, Trent was generous. The way Trent made Rayanne feel couldn't be described with words, but Rayanne would try her best when she wrote about it in her journal later. "I always imagined he was a generous lover…" she whispered, trying to keep herself composed. Feeling as light as a feather, Rayanne pulled out her journal and started to write.

This continued for weeks. Rayanne would finish her duties (around the castle and to King Logan, should it arise) and then she'd sneak off to the city to see Trent. The maids (and the King) started to notice a change in their head maid, as she seemed a bit happier than usual and she was a bit absent minded as of late. Despite how bad things got around the castle, Rayanne always seemed to be in a good mood. No one knew of her nighttime ritual of seeing Trent.

If the King found out, bad things would happen. Rayanne knew if King Logan even felt like he had competition of any kind, heads would roll. Luckily, he seemed preoccupied lately. Rayanne, just earlier that day, had shown a man carrying a suitcase up to the King's study. She didn't want to, but Rayanne found herself listening in on the conversation. Rayanne placed her ear on the door and listened carefully. It wouldn't be until much later that Rayanne figured out why the man was there.

"…and you said this is your best selection?" she heard the King ask.

"Yes, my liege. I personally picked these out myself after my apprentice told me you wished to see me. These usually stay in the store's safe." the man said.

"Some of these are quite small."

"Don't let their size fool you, my King. These are some of the best gems in all of Albion. Nothing but the best for the Royal Family, I assure you. Take this one for example…"

"Yes, I do like how the light hits it. But I still think it's a bit small. You used to do a lot of my mother's jewelry, and she swore by you. I want something like this…"

"Ahh, I remember when that portrait was commissioned, I worked on those pieces personally. Your mother hand selected each gem herself. I can get something like that, but it will take some time."

"How long do you think?"

"I'd say about a week to acquire the gem and about two months to make the piece you want, along with the other pieces you commissioned."

"Good, make it happen."

The man left without looking at anyone. Rayanne didn't seem to mind, as she just went back to her duties. King Logan took notice of Rayanne as he left his study. "Well, we're in a good mood, Little Maid." King Logan said with a smile. Rayanne didn't say anything. She just nodded and went to finish her duties. King Logan scratched his chin and nodded. Something was going on. King Logan had never seen Rayanne smile like that after any of their "encounters". Usually, she'd sulk around.

The King wasn't the only one who was suspicious of Rayanne's sudden good mood. The maids were a little confused too. He decided to get to the bottom of if before she decided to stay with this happy feeling. Was he jealous of this happy feeling? Maybe he was jealous that he wasn't the one making her feel that way. Either way, he decided to get to the bottom of this mystery.

On one particularly stormy night, King Logan decided to pay Rayanne a surprise visit. Rayanne always counted on Logan's scheduled visits, as he was a man that liked routine. When he used his skeleton key to unlock Rayanne's bedroom door, he discovered her room bare. Shocked and angered, of course, but he knew she'd be back. Wherever she went off to, she'd come back. He knew she loved the other maids too much to just abandon them at the castle. King Logan decided to help himself to her journal and swiped it off her nightstand.

As always, Trent saw Rayanne back to her secret passage. Something about tonight told Rayanne that this would be the last time in a long while that she'd see Trent, so she decided to make it special. "If I can't meet you tomorrow night or any other night after that, please do not be worried. I will send you a letter as soon as possible." Rayanne whispered as they kissed each other goodbye. She decided to give him the key and told him to lock it behind her, which he did.

When Rayanne arrived back at the castle, she noticed something off about her room. When she glanced over at her nightstand, a chill went through her systems. In the place of her journal sat a small note. She picked it p and opened it. "Come to the throne room in uniform. You have some explaining to do…" she read. Rayanne dropped the note to the floor and swallowed hard.

No one was in the hallway that night. Her only companion toward the main part of the castle was the thunder and lightning. Terror was sweeping through Rayanne's body as she walked up the grand staircase and opened the doors to the throne room wide. The entire throne room was dark, except for the light of the stained glass window behind the throne King Logan's shadow sat stationary as Rayanne made her way to the center of the throne room and stopped. "My King…" she started.

"Bow before your king!" Logan shouted. Rayanne did as she was told and bowed at the steps of the throne. King Logan stood up and stepped onto the first step. "You have been brought before me on crimes of a personal nature. You swore yourself to me and I have evidence to prove you're going back on those vows." Logan held up Rayanne's journal and plopped it on the ground. "So, he's a generous lover, is he?"

Rayanne, in shock, reached for her journal only to have it kicked to the other side of the room. "You swore an oath to me, Little Maid. Of all the people I thought I could trust you were the one above all. Tell me, does he truly make you feel alive? Because I can see to it that he never opens his eyes again…" King Logan circled Rayanne with his arms behind his back. "This is why I didn't give you permission to leave. I knew you'd fly right into his arms and out of my castle. Do you prefer him to me?"

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. King Logan was jealous of a guard!

King Logan yanked Rayanne up and made her face him. "When he takes you into his arms, does he whisper sweet nothings into your ear? Does he tell you he wants only you? Well, it's lies, Little Maid. I know the male brain very well, and he'll do what he can to land you in bed. Every sweet little letter he's written you has been a lie. And because of that, you are never to see him again. I will be approving his transfer and you are never leaving this castle again! As we speak, workers are being brought in to seal up your little 'hidey-hole' and you will stay in a room closer to mine."

Rayanne found herself being thrown onto the throne. "You are mine and never forget that, Little Maid!" King Logan yelled as the thunder roared. "Do you like that throne, Little Maid?" he asked, coming closer. "I sit on it all the time when I need to make important decisions. And now, you get to make one. Right now, your beloved maids are being corralled in the garden and they don't know why. You see, Reaver has made me a generous offer on them and I think I might sell them."

Rayanne's eyes widened. "No! You can't do this! They aren't animals!" she shouted as the thunder roared.

As the thunder cracked loudly outside, King Logan put his hand in the air, telling Rayanne to be silent. "I will back out of the deal. But I want you to know who is in charge around here. Little Maid, your little stunt has made me rethink our relationship. I'm not ending it, by any means. In fact, I hope we can take it further. But as long as you have certain 'distractions', it can't advance further. Now, I want you to choose…"

King Logan took out two pieces of paper from his breast pocket. "One of these is Trent's transfer approval. His superior already signed it and now it's awaiting my seal. The other is a bill of sale to Reaver. I will rip up the one you choose. However, the other will go along as planned. If I rip up Trent's, he gets put back here in the castle and you get to see him whenever your little heart desires, but the maids become Reaver's, and they'll know it was you that damned them to such a fate. Choose the bill of sale and the maids stay here, unaware of the fate they almost suffered, but Trent leaves for the mountains in two days. Now, which one will I tear up?"

The thought of the maids having to bow to Reaver's disgusting whims made Rayanne's blood boil. But the thought of being without Trent worried her. The maids had become her family, but Trent loved her in a way the King never could. But this was Reaver, a man known for shooting a servant because they didn't put the right number of sugar cubes in his tea. Trent told Rayanne he'd love her no matter what horrible secrets she told him. The maids stuck by Rayanne, even when things around the castle became grim. They didn't deserve to be punished because Rayanne had needs the King couldn't fill.

Rayanne sighed and pointed to the bill of sale. King Logan smiled and ripped it up. He left the throne room for a moment and then came back in. "Your maids are safely back in their beds. You made a good choice. I will approve Trent's transfer tomorrow morning. See? Doesn't it feel good to do as you're told?" King Logan walked up to Rayanne and lifted her chin with his index finger. "Now, don't pout, Little Maid. You should be happy. We all get what we want. I should actually apologize for being so busy lately. If I hadn't been neglecting you, you wouldn't have been forced to find comfort in another man."

King Logan kissed Rayanne passionately. He stood her up and ripped off her clothes feverishly as he kissed her all over. "You have no idea…" the king whispered as he undressed and sat on the throne. "How worried I became when I thought I was losing you."

_So, this is my life now?_ Rayanne asked herself as she knelt down and took the King's manhood into her mouth. King Logan gripped the arms of his throne tightly and moaned softly. _I guess it isn't so bad. Trent is safe, the maids are safe, and I'm not heading toward the gallows. So, in retrospect, things couldn't have worked out better. I'll miss Trent, but I think I can learn to be happy with what I have here. The King really isn't that bad of a guy once you get used to his quirks. He only did these things because he was afraid of losing me. Most men would have just let me go, but King Logan…_

Rayanne's eyes widened when she tasted a few spurts of the king enter her mouth. She coughed softly and looked up. As if she knew what to do next, Rayanne climbed on top of Logan and willingly let him enter her. He groaned and feverishly started thrusting into Rayanne. He held her hips tightly and excitedly entered her over and over again. He soon brought her closer and held her tightly. Rayanne's breasts bounced against his chest and as they both started to sweat.

_I am a tainted, broken toy…_ Rayanne thought as her own moans grew louder. _A plaything, that's all I am. I'm the King's plaything. But you want to know the worst part?_ Rayanne started moving her hips against the king, who grabbed her behind and helped her grind against him. Soon, he was bouncing her up and down on his manhood. Their moaning had combined and blended in with the thunder and the sound of rain hitting the castle outside. King Logan took one of Rayanne's nipples in his mouth and feverishly suckled on it.

Rayanne felt her body get warmer and Logan started going faster. Rayanne started sucking on her own fingers as her moaning soon got louder than the king's. _The worst part about this entire ordeal isn't losing Trent or even losing my credibility to the maids. The worse part about all this is…I like this._

As if on cue, Rayanne's orgasm, followed by the King's, followed the loudest thunder crack ever heard in Albion's history.

_A Few Weeks Later_

The workers had finished their work in the wing that Rayanne used to call home. It took longer than one would hope, but the secret passage was finally sealed up. Rayanne managed the bribe a delivery boy into sending one final letter to Trent, but something in her heart told her she'd see Trent again. When? Who knew?

Rayanne was just happy to see the maids going about their daily duties safe and sound. Things around the castle were still pretty tense, but as long as the others were safe and healthy, Rayanne didn't really care either way. In essence, Rayanne was happy.

"Miss Rayanne?" chirped a voice behind Rayanne as she made her way back to the main part of the castle. Rayanne nodded and turned around. She recognized this person as castle doctor's assistant. "My boss wanted me to give this to you. It's the results to those tests you had him do. I haven't read it, but he said it should shed some light as to why you've been feeling sick lately." The doctor's assistant handed Rayanne a sealed letter and wandered off.

In the past few weeks, Rayanne's health seemed to be in decline. When she found it difficult to leave bed one morning, she decided to pay a visit to the castle doctor. Rayanne opened the letter and read it as she walked back to her new quarters.

Sitting on her new bed, Rayanne read the letter again and again with a worried look on her face. The king would need to know about this, and Rayanne knew so would Trent. She'd have to save up some gold to bribe the delivery boy again, but all parties involved would need to know. It seemed the Seer, if she was watching over Rayanne, was having a good laugh. Rayanne made her way out of her room and to the King's study, where he was going over a few forms.

"What is it?" he asked, not even looking up. Rayanne slowly closed the door and locked it. King Logan had been a busy man as of late. He had been working tirelessly and following every lead to his sister's whereabouts with hound-like dedication. Most leads led to dead ends, but there were rumors a girl of her description had been spotted hanging around Bowerstone Industrial a few days ago. King Logan had a few soldiers go and check out the area just to be safe.

"My king…" Rayanne chirped. King Logan looked at Rayanne, who gripped her letter nervously.

She handed King Logan the letter and stood there. He read the letter and smiled wide. Standing up, King Logan took Rayanne in his arms and smiled a wicked smile. "…and now, Little Maid, your new duties will begin…" he whispered as the letter made its way to the floor.

_Dear Miss Rayanne,_

_After many extensive tests, I have come to the only conclusion as to why you have been physically weak, nauseous, and why you've have a heavy feeling in your lower abdomen as of late. I would have come to you personally but other matters seem to have my attention. _

_Miss Rayanne, you appear to be pregnant. I suggest you inform the other party involved, whoever he may be. I estimate you are about eleven weeks along, but I'll need to do further tests to confirm it. Please come see me as soon as is convenient so I can start you on a vitamin regiment and proper check-ups._

_~Louis, the Castle Doctor_

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><p><strong>N'cha, my loves!<strong>

**Oh my, what a long chapter! I wanted to cover a lot in this chapter, and it seems I've done just that!**

**Come on, you can't say you didn't see this coming! Now, the real question is: Who is the father? And what are these duties that the King has planned for Rayanne? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned to find out! **

**Oh, and don't forget to check out some of my other projects, especially the one I have going on in the Portal area! It's the sequel to "Reconstructing Humanity" and I'm pretty proud of it. It's my main project at the moment, but not to worry, this one is almost done as well. **

**I'm sure you've all noticed by now, but I redid the first chapter. Yep, I decided that the first-person P.O.V. wasn't really my style and after putting it off for a while, I finally got around to rewriting the first chapter. I hope you guys like it!  
><strong>

**Well, let me know how I did so I can continue with the story! I appreciate all reviews, but please keep it clean! Or not, I'm not a cop and this is a mature rated story. I think keeping it clean was abandoned long ago. But I'm sure you know what I mean.**

**As always my dears, read, review, and be merry my doves!**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	8. Expectations

_A Maid's Story_

Expectations

_Dinner was just about ready and the Journalist was already eating up everything the Old Lady was telling him. He got the feeling her story was almost over, yet there was so much left to tell. The Journalist got the feeling that there was much she wasn't telling him. He didn't seem to care, as what the Old Lady was telling him was gold._

_As the Old Lady served dinner, a thought ran across the Journalist's mind. In truth, he had been wondering it since the beginning but didn't want to offend his hostess. Of course, after all he told her, he felt he had at least some right to ask this question. The Journalist tried to think of the best way to ask it without offending the Old Lady. The Old Lady poured wine into a glass for the Journalist with an innocent look, but in her mind she had a feeling of what her guest was about to ask her. It wasn't like this was the first time she had been asked._

"_Ma'am…" the Journalist cleared his throat and closed his notepad. Though he didn't plan on publishing whatever answer she gave him, he just had to know the answer if not to satisfy his own curiosity. "Your son, Liam, is about thirty years old, am I correct?" he asked, nervously._

_The Old Lady nodded. "Next summer, yes." She murmured, pouring herself some wine._

"_Ma'am, if I offend you, I wish you to tell me so. I want you to know I won't publish anything said between us while my notepad is closed. But I must know…" the Journalist scooted closer to the Old Lady, not hearing the sounds of footsteps coming up the cobblestone path toward the house. "…Liam's father…"_

_Before the Journalist could finish his question, the front door opened slowly, revealing a young man in his late twenties. He was a slender, tall man with hair as black as night and eyes as green as the forest. He wore his vest tight and his slacks looked like they needed to be taken in a bit. He had a classical look to him, and his face reminded the Journalist of a portrait he had once seen. The young man looked confused and angry that his mother had company when she should have been in bed._

"_Mother…" the young man glared at the Journalist as he walked inside. "…who is this?"_

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><p>"Yes, this is perfect…" King Logan whispered with his hand on Rayanne's abdomen. Rayanne's belly had begun to swell and it was getting harder to hide her pregnancy from the other servants. The child growing within her was coming along well and she was already starting to feel the effects of pregnancy.<p>

Most mornings, Rayanne had a hard time getting up. Most of the time it wasn't until late morning that Rayanne was up and about. The doctor told her by the size of her stomach and the date that the symptoms had started, Rayanne was more than likely no more than three months along.

Rayanne had been in the King's study for about an hour now. He had called her in, but didn't discuss anything with her when she walked in. When she walked in, her newly swollen belly caught his attention. Three months along and her belly was starting to poke out. Rayanne was still rail thin, but she felt heavy. Her breasts were starting to swell as well and her bras didn't fit well anymore.

The child within Rayanne could have been sired by the king or a guard. She tried to voice this concern to King Logan, who wouldn't hear anything of the sort. "This child is to be a prince or princess." He whispered as he kissed Rayanne's belly. "He or she will have hero blood coursing through their veins. Our child will be groomed from birth for the throne." Logan announced to Rayanne.

Rayanne wanted to say something, but she decided against it. "I hope it has your looks." Logan chuckled as he stood back up. "You have a classical look about you that would suit a child better than the tired look of the king."

Again, Rayanne said nothing. She could tell by his eyes that King Logan was plotting something. It looked to Rayanne that he had already figured out her child's future before it was even born. Rayanne hadn't even started looking at baby names yet and King Logan was already planning this child's life! Rayanne didn't know what else she could stomach. Surely the kingdom would be suspicious of the king just "suddenly" having an heir. Rayanne had no idea how King Logan was going to pull this off.

"I would stay longer, but I have a meeting with Major Swift." Logan murmured, straightening himself out. "…but before I go, I have something for you…" King Logan walked over to a table and lifted up a box. Rayanne noticed the box when she walked in, but didn't say anything. The box was wooden and had intricate designs on it. King Logan opened the box and presented Rayanne with some of the most precious jewels she had ever seen.

She stared at herself in the mirror for a good long while as the King draped precious gems around her neck and wrists. It was like he was preparing her for something. The jewelry selection was magnificent, obviously no expense spared. Lovely jewels meant for royalty obviously, but on a maid, Rayanne felt ridiculous. Logan gasped her shoulders and admired her reflection. "You've done more than enough to earn these. You've proven yourself a worthy ally to me, and you're undying loyalty will not go unrewarded. There are things you know and you keep them to yourself, and you obey me without question, as a good maid does. Obedient, unquestioning, and…" King Logan inhaled deeply as Rayanne shivered. "…beautiful…"

King Logan once again put his hand on Rayanne's belly. "This is only a taste of what is coming to you, Little Maid." He whispered. "I have sent for Albion's best interior designer and we will have a nursery made out within a few months when he is finished with a current contract. When our child is born, I will see to it that they are groomed for the throne. I won't be around forever, and I want to make sure the kingdom will be in safe hands when I die. Everything is going according to plan…"

As the King admired Rayanne, and as Rayanne tried not to feel like an idiot, an eye peeked in through the slightly ajar door to the study. This eye watched King Logan's hands caress Rayanne's shoulders as she touched the jewels nervously. The King was trying to make a Queen out of a maid, and the owner of this spying eye looked on.

Abigail took a few steps back and placed her hand over her mouth. "Miss Marigold was right…" she whispered. "The King has been up to something with Rayanne and he has been buying her silence. By the size of those gems, Rayanne's silence doesn't come cheap. I knew there was something going on and if Rayanne thinks she can become queen then…" Abigail huffed and tried to think. Her cheeks red, she got an idea and ran off before Rayanne or the King could realize she was there.

"Major Swift is coming to report to me about the situation in Mourningwood. Honestly, I wasn't expecting him to survive." Logan's sense of humor made Rayanne uncomfortable. "I'm so impressed by his dealing with the hollow man problem that I've been thinking of sending him to the mountains to deal with that mercenary problem."

A light bulb went off in Rayanne's head at that moment. If Major Swift was going to the mountains, then that could be beneficial to Rayanne. "I imagine if he can eradicate an unholy legion of the dead, then he could do wonders to the living." Rayanne murmured just loud enough for Logan to hear. He seemed to agree with her.

A guard came in to announce Major Swift's arrival and Logan sent Rayanne (and her new jewels) on her way. Rayanne walked down her own little walk of shame with the jewelry nuzzled safely in a small box. King Logan watched her, his eyes not leaving her as she walked away. She passed by the man she assumed was Major Swift. He had greying black hair and a very pronounced mustache that looked like it was groomed every day. Their eyes met only momentarily, but it was clear there was much these two needed to discuss.

Something told Rayanne that he knew more than he was willing to admit. How he could know anything was beyond her, but Rayanne knew that gossip spread fast among the guards. Not even the stoic Elite Force was immune to the contagious gossip that spread throughout the castle. Rayanne was starting to wonder who else knew her dirty little secret. She wondered who else knew the King had possibly impregnated a maid and was grooming her to be his Queen.

While most women would see this as a dream come true, Rayanne saw this as a nightmare unfolding. The man she truly loved was all the way in the mountains now and she wasn't even sure if he was the father of her unborn child. The other possible candidate was the King of Albion himself. She knew she would garner no sympathy from the other maids if she revealed this. The other maids didn't know she was pregnant but it was starting to get harder to keep it a secret.

They would want to know who the father was. She couldn't say Trent or else everyone would ask how she was able to see him. She couldn't say King Logan because no one would believe her. Even if they did, she'd be looked upon with contempt and jealousy. Rayanne knew she was alone now. Despite the life growing within her, Rayanne felt empty and alone.

Rayanne sat on her bed and took out her journal. She kept it in a safer place now and rarely wrote in it. Lately, she had been writing in her journal as if she was writing a letter. She didn't know how much longer she could keep her pregnancy a secret, and she was on her last page in her journal. Rayanne sighed softly. She took out a small piece of paper from her nightstand and wrote on it.

A few stray tear drops fell onto the paper as Rayanne closed her letter. She went to her desk and took out some wrapping parchment and some string. Rayanne placed the letter on top of the journal and wrapped her parcel tightly. She held it tightly and placed it beside her on the bed.

Rayanne placed her hand on her swelling belly and cried soft tears. "You'll never know your father, baby." She whispered softly. "…and for that, I am truly sorry…"

_**That Night**_

A puff of pipe smoke drifted into the night air. The night was clear, despite the coming rains forecasted. The smell of the air before any rain was relaxing and Major Swift enjoyed it very much in the castle garden. He decided to stay in the castle for a few days, if not for his own benefit. While most of the guards still saluted him, he knew it was hollow. The Elites only showed him courtesy before they were ordered to. Major Swift sighed, knowing most of the Elites were nothing but brainwashed young men.

He had commanded a few of these boys in better times, and felt remorseful that he had signed recommendations for some of these boys to join the Elites. Had he known the truth beforehand, Swift never would have signed a damn thing and now, he regretted sending some of these young men off to a fate worse than death.

"Ahh, my dear Queen Sparrow…" Major Swift sighed as his latest puff of pipe smoke drifted to the heavens. "…I fought by your side with Walter and Jasper and I promised to stand by your son. It is the only promise I regret making to you. But I still swore an oath to you, my Queen. I surely hope that you aren't watching what your kingdom is becoming. Your son is a good man, but something has corrupted him. And I believe he's spreading that corruption…"

At that moment, the soft pitter-patter of feet caught Swift's attention. Swift turned around and saw Rayanne in the company of two guards. Swift knew that Logan had recently assigned this particular maid with two of her own personal guards. Something told him he was about to find out why.

"Thank you, both of you. I will be in soon." Rayanne whispered. The guards nodded and walked inside to wait for her. "I apologize if I am disturbing you, Major."

Swift took another puff from his pipe and smiled. "It is no trouble at all, Miss Rayanne. I do enjoy company, even if it is a maid's. The company of the Head Maid makes it even better." He chuckled. "Now, I know a lady wouldn't be wondering around the garden at this time of night without a reason. You came to see me personally."

Rayanne nodded softly. "My guards told me you were here, so I decided to take a chance. I am in no way in a situation to ask for a favor of you, Major." Rayanne looked like she was having trouble finding the words she wanted to say. Major Swift knew something could turn out beneficial for him and the friends he had recently made. If anything, Swift was an opportunist. "But this might be my last chance, so please hear me out. I can't explain to you why, but the King has been keeping me and my maids in this castle and cut our lines of communication for fear of spies."

"Yes, I heard of that decree. I also heard about poor Miss Marigold. She was the head maid for a number of years but you were the first apprentice she actually took on. Whenever I came to the castle, she always had a few choice words for me and my muddy boots." Major Swift chuckled, putting the pipe back to his lips.

Rayanne smiled, remembering Miss Marigold fondly. "She was like a mother to me and the other maids. But she's gone and I know it's my fault. I can't go into details, but I feel the guilt every day. Major Swift, I am sure King Logan has announced that he intends to send you to the mountains."

Major Swift nodded. "Yes, he informed me today when I arrived. I leave in a week's time."

Rayanne reached into her apron pocket and took out a wrapped parcel. "I am in no position to ask you for favors, but please grant me this. There is a soldier in the mountains named Trent Abernathy. I'm not sure exactly where his unit sent him, but I believe he is in Brightwall working as a town guard. Could you see that he gets this?"

Not knowing what to say, Major Swift looked deep into Rayanne's eyes. He felt he could see the entire situation from just her eyes. He always made a habit of reading people. A trick he learned in the army to help weed out spies. He looked down at Rayanne for a moment when she rubbed her stomach sadly. Suddenly, everything seemed clear. Swift's eyes widened and he nodded, taking the parcel from Rayanne. Major Swift smiled and winked at Rayanne. "I will have it sent ahead in the morning, Miss Rayanne. And don't worry. You don't owe me a thing."

With a bittersweet smile, Rayanne took his hand into hers. "Thank you, Major Swift. You have no idea what it means to me."

Major Swift watched Rayanne leave the garden to her two awaiting guards. Major Swift held the parcel in his hand and looked around. Making sure no Elites were around, Major Swift made his way to the garden gate. He made a soft whistling sound, which made a soldier hiding in the nearby bushes emerge. He would indeed have this parcel sent ahead, but not before sending it on a quick errand to some friends. He handed the parcel to the soldier, along with a letter of his own. "See that these fall into the right hands, and that the package is sent to the person addressed when _SHE_ is done with it…"

Major Swift wasn't aware of a peeper in the flower beds nearby as he waved the young soldier on his way. He had turned his head slightly toward a flower bush, but shrugged off the odd sensation and went back towards the castle. Major Swift had a lot to get ready for.

A certain maid kept her head low. Whatever was going on, she decided to put a stop to it. Not for Albion, of course…

_**A few days later…**_

"…and I heard this bash will be the biggest yet!" Trina whispered to Noelle.

"I had a feeling that Reaver couldn't help but spill out his latest party plans to the King. Secret society party, my foot! As if King Logan would actually go to one of those parties. I haven't seen King Logan leave the castle in years. He barely goes out to the garden." Noelle retorted.

Trina and Noelle found themselves cleaning the grand staircase today. While waxing and polishing fell to the butlers, sweeping and dusting fell to the maids. "You know, I kind of like this." said Noelle, pushing some debris into a dust pan. "It's been so nice and quiet lately, I actually lost myself in my duties. It's kind of like when Miss Marigold was in charge."

Nodding, Trina finished dusting the bannister and smiled down at Noelle. "I had a feeling Rayanne would eventually get used to the role. It only took her the better half of almost two years." She laughed. Trina looked around to make sure no one was listening and following Noelle toward the dust bin. "Hey, have you noticed something off about Rayanne lately?" she asked softly.

"Now that you mention it, yes I have." Noelle replied. "For a while, she was all happy and smiley, and then she was depressed again. It's probably because of the cut contact to the rest of Albion. She must be so sad about losing contact with Trent. Now, I think she's gained weight."

"I think it has something to do with all the meetings she's been scheduled with the King. If you think he's running us ragged, imagine what he's doing to Rayanne." Trina sighed, crossing her arms. "Poor Rayanne looks so sick lately and King Logan has her doing all this manual labor. He doesn't care that he might kill another head maid." Trina snorted. Noelle nodded in agreement as Abigail approached them.

For once, Beatrice wasn't following behind her. "You girls don't know the half of it. Rayanne has been getting a little lazy lately, don't you think?" Abigail announced, having heard their every word.

"What are you talking about, Abigail?" Trina asked sharply. Without Beatrice to back her up, Abigail didn't look too threatening. "You're one to talk about Rayanne being lazy when you won't even lift a finger unless she threatens to take you to the King."

Abigail huffed and folded her arms. "Oh, she has more than the King's favor if you ask me. You think she's protecting us? Please, she's only out for herself just like the rest of us. Don't you think it's weird that the King is showing her so much favor? He barely talked to Miss Marigold, but he takes time out of his busy schedule to meet with Rayanne. Trust me, girls. Those meetings aren't about which kind of cleaner works best on tile floors or the best kind of polish for the throne. We're all pawns in the King's twisted game and Rayanne is the _Queen_." Abigail laughed as she walked away.

Trina and Noelle looked at each other and then at Abigail as she made her way down a hallway. They knew better than to believe anything Abigail said, but felt some truth behind her words. Trina leaned against the stair bannister and thought for a moment. "Do you think that she's insinuating…"

Noelle shook her head. "No, don't even think it. The King is many things, but not even he would lower himself to that level. But I must say Abigail is quite convincing. I mean, King Logan sees Rayanne more than he ever saw Miss Marigold when she was head maid. And did you notice those guards he has by her room every day?"

Trina nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I noticed the new muscle hanging around her room. I even noticed that new bedroom as well. Right down the hall from the Grand Chambers. Rayanne is our best friend. She tells us everything. But for once, she's not telling us something. I noticed she doesn't have her journal anymore. She used to keep that thing under lock and key, but now she just leaves her room open, even when those guards aren't around. I think it might be time to have a sit down with Rayanne."

In the study, Rayanne sat down to her simple lunch and tea with her guards hovering over her. "The King requested that you take your meals in the study from now on, Miss Rayanne." said one of the guards. "He said he will join you shortly."

Rayanne nodded and placed a napkin on her lap. Her belly was starting to protrude slightly and it was only a matter of time before she could hide it no more. Rayanne looked up when she heard a familiar pair of footsteps that didn't belong to the king. "No one is allowed in the study at this time." said her other guard.

A smile beamed across Rayanne's face when she saw Trina and Noelle. "It's alright, Milton. They are friends of mine." Rayanne chirped. The guard named Milton nodded to Rayanne and stepped aside and let the two maids enter.

"Milton…" Trina chuckled as the guard stared daggers at her.

"Don't let his name fool you; he's quite proficient with a rapier." Rayanne sighed, pretending to smile. "I'm sorry if I've been avoiding you two lately. Things have gotten quite weird." She murmured, hiding her protruding belly with her napkin.

"Yeah, weird. Like you take your lunch in the study instead of the servant's dining hall now." Noelle mentioned as she sat down. "…not to mention you have the muscle following you around now." Noelle pointed to Milton and Clyde (the name of the other guard) who stood in the doorway. "I didn't think a maid needed bodyguards."

Rayanne sighed and looked at Trina and Noelle with a look of shame. "Milton, Clyde, could you two wait outside while I talk to my friends, please? Let me know when the King enters the hallway."

Milton and Clyde nodded and left the study, closing the doors behind them. Trina and Noelle looked at each other and then to Rayanne. It took a while, but Trina finally started the conversation. "Rayanne, we've been friends since we were Little Maids. You were the first person to welcome us when Miss Marigold brought us here and you helped us learn the ropes. We've shared all our secrets since then, but lately it feels like you've been hiding something."

"We're worried about you, Rayanne." Noelle interjected. "You're the Head Maid, but lately we've barely seen you pick up a broom. I know you have more responsibilities now, but not even the King can be this concerned with the Castle's upkeep to keep on meeting with you. What is going on?"

Rayanne picked up her tea cup and saucer and tried to drink her tea. "You also look sick. Does it have to do with all the special treatment the King has been giving you?" Trina asked.

"And no offense, but you look like you've gained weight, too." Noelle tried not to be offending, but found it hard. "Is it because of losing contact with Trent?"

The two kept asking questions, not noticing Rayanne shaking. All the questions Rayanne was afraid of were now being asked at once, and by her best friends. Rayanne knew the time had come. She couldn't keep this secret anymore. She slammed down her tea cup, cracking it. "Shut up! Just shut up!" she shouted. The doors to the study burst open. Milton and Clyde stood ready to escort the two maids out but Rayanne held up her hand. "It's alright, you two. Go back outside, my tea cup just broke." Rayanne tried to sound like she wasn't crying. The two guards closed the doors again.

Trina and Noelle looked at Rayanne. "I'm sorry I yelled…" Rayanne quivered softly. "I've been afraid of all of those questions for years. Girls, please promise me you won't think less of me for what I'm about to tell you and promise me I'll still have your friendship and forgiveness for not telling you."

Trina and Noelle nodded softly. "Rayanne, what's wrong?" Trina asked softly.

Rayanne's bottom lip shook as she took away the napkin on her lap. "…I'm pregnant…"

The two maids gasped loudly and looked at each other. They looked back at Rayanne with mouths agape. They wanted to be happy for Rayanne, but something was telling them not to be. So many questions ran through their minds. The biggest question they asked at the same time. "Is Trent the father?!" they shouted together.

They were shocked when Rayanne just shrugged. "What do you mean you don't know?" Trina shouted.

"Did you find a way to see Trent during the lock down?" Noelle asked, gripping a napkin tightly. "Or did you find love from another guard?"

"I can't say…" Rayanne murmured. "If I do…bad things could happen to you two. And the others as well. I can't put you all in danger. Not again."

Trina puffed loudly. "Does this have to do with what happened to Miss Marigold? Are you trying to protect us too?"

Rayanne got up and slammed her hands on the table. "You don't realize the big picture!" she shouted. "None of you do." Rayanne calmed down and walked over to a desk. "I'm sorry for my outbursts, but I don't know what else to do. Ever since Miss Marigold died, I have been the only thing keeping the King of selling you all to Reaver or executing you all, or who knows what else. But it comes at a price. A horrible agreement that started that night in the Princess's room years ago..."

Trina and Noelle looked at Rayanne in shock.

"I am pregnant. Trent might be the father…but the other candidate will be joining me for tea any minute and if he sees you two here, I don't know what will happen." Rayanne kept her back to her friends. They didn't see the tears streaming down her face.

"You've been the King's lover for the past five years?!" Noelle shouted in a loud whisper. Rayanne didn't say anything. Her silence was confirmation enough. Trina and Noelle got up at the same time and went to their friend, who burst into tears the moment they came near. The two girls were a little shaken by the news, but knew they had to be there for Rayanne. Trina was thinking that being the King's lover would be a good thing, seeing as it looked like the only way anyone could get what they wanted around the palace nowadays.

Rayanne sniffled softly and went back to the table. "People think that being the lover of a king is a good thing. A romantic thought, the King falling in love with a lowly maid. But it's horrible. He's cut us all off from the outside world, and I can't sway him to lift the ban. People disappear everyday around here and then he comes to me for guidance and to let out his kingly frustrations."

"But Rayanne…" Trina stopped herself, trying to think of the best thing to say. "…you don't need to protect us. Look what happened to Miss Marigold when she tried. She ended up betraying us and almost sending us to the dungeon. If you had said something…"

"Miss Marigold's fate wouldn't have mattered either way. He still would have had her executed. If not because she was with the rebels, than to get closer to me without making it look suspicious. Now, he drapes jewels on a maid and talks of grooming a child that may not even be his for the throne. You can't drape a dungeon in fancy wallpaper and plush carpet and call it a castle. It's still a dungeon and it still has its guards and a warden overlooking the entire thing. The warden wears a crown…" Rayanne looked away from her friends, but found them comforting her.

Noelle was about to say something when the doors burst open. "Miss Rayanne, King Logan is coming. Your friends have to leave." said Clyde as he and Milton walked in to escort the two maids out. Rayanne sadly waved to her friends as her guards gently led them out.

"We'll come by your room later!" Noelle shouted. "Hear that, big guy? She's expecting us!" she snorted to Milton. Milton only huffed and motioned for the two to leave.

King Logan passed by the two maids as they went back to their duties. He heard them whispering as they passed by, but didn't hear what they were saying. He shook his head and made his way to the study, where Rayanne patiently waited for him. King Logan instructed Milton and Clyde to stay outside the study as he closed and locked the study doors. Trina and Noelle decided to wait for tea time to be over. After an hour (and three attempts to give up), King Logan left the study, looking slightly more refreshed. Rayanne soon followed afterward, her two guards in tow.

When the night time came, along with rumors of an incident at Reaver's lakeside manor (when was there never anything going on at that place?), King Logan got some very chilling news and it's messenger was in the form of a red-headed maid with a score to settle. The King decided to investigate this claim himself.

Rayanne would later get the details of this part from Beatrice, who was an unwilling accomplice. According to Beatrice, King Logan had Major Swift stopped before he even got past the main gate. Logan had Major Swift taken into custody and locked in the dungeons below the castle. And, according to Beatrice and her macabre sense of humor, King Logan had Major Swift beaten and smacked around until he could barely see properly. Rayanne heard the rest of the story from Milton and Clyde.

In the deepest dungeon, Major Swift sat on the flimsy stool, coughing up bits of blood here and there. He refused to reveal anything about a rumored revolution or the Princess's whereabouts. King Logan, however, wanted to know something else. He dismissed all the guards and stood in front of Swift's cell.

"So, not willing to talk about my sister?" he asked calmly as Swift coughed up some more blood. "I will have you know I don't give a rat's ass about your rebellion. I could care less about a bunch of street rats and their little makeshift army. Now, tell me where my sister is!" King Logan shouted. He would receive no rebuttal. Logan calmed down and sighed, folding his arms behind his back. He then kneeled down and glared deeply into Swift's bruised eyes and made it very clear that he was in control.

Major Swift laughed softly. "She looks exactly like the Princess…" he struggled to talk, spitting up blood and at least one tooth.

Logan glared down at Major Swift. "Who?" he asked.

The major let out another hacking cough, followed by a hollow laugh. "Don't act confused, you know exactly who I am talking about. What is her name, Rayanne? Lovely girl for someone completely brainwashed. She is almost the spitting image of Princess Robin and you know it. You've always loved your sister and you swore to your mother you'd protect her. But she doesn't need big brother to protect her anymore, does she?"

Logan growled and was about to say something, but decided against it. Major Swift decided to keep going, knowing he was hitting a chord with Logan. "That maid is as blindly obedient as you want her to be, doing everything you tell her to do. All the way down to carrying your child. But I saw a spark in her eye. How fitting; big brother can't seem to connect with his little sister, so you substitute her with that maid. When you couldn't control your sister, you decided to control that maid. Maybe it was just so you knew you still controlled something as the Kingdom, including your soldiers and your own family, were falling just out of your grasp. She's everything your sister isn't. But mark my words, Logan: she will be. You can only keep a bird caged up for so long before it starts to resent its owner. She and that child will find a way to leave this gilded dungeon. She will defy you, just like the Princess did and the people of Albion and it will be your own fault in the end."

King Logan balled up his fists. "Your cause is lost, Major Swift. I hate to make an example out of one of my mother's most respected soldiers and personal friends, but I must do what is best for Albion, my sister, and for my future heir. Once I get a handle on my traitorous sister, I will see you and your rebel friends hang from the gallows. And I will have Rayanne and my child by my side." Logan left the dungeons, leaving Major Swift to the mercy of the warden.

The next morning, it was raining. Rayanne and the other maids watched helplessly from one of the upper hall windows as the spectacle beneath unfolded.

"Yes, traitors walk among us…" King Logan announced to an awaiting crowd. "Traitors plot to end us; traitors would have you believe their cause is noble. They wear many masks, they may look like your friends, or even your most loyal servants…"

The purple clad Elite yanked Major Swift to the top step of the castle. The crowd was getting bigger. The mix-mash of upper class and middle class all stood in awe of the man presented to them by the King. The servants didn't want to watch, but they couldn't look away. To Rayanne, it was like watching Miss Marigold's execution all over again. "This…is the face of a traitor." Logan announced as the Elite made the poor disheveled major stand straight.

"Major Swift, a respected member of the army and sworn servant of the kingdom has plotted against us all. He was apprehended trying to turn loyal soldiers against us and is thus charged with espionage, treason, and conspiracy. Yet there are still others darkening our lands with their betrayal…"

The Elite yanked Swift up some more. Major Swift did not resist. Everyone knew it would do little good. The Elite, on Logan's instruction, aimed his pistol at Swift's head, waiting for the signal.

"We shall hunt these traitors down, wherever they may be, and they will suffer the same fate as Major Swift and all enemies of the crown!"

With one hand gesture, Major Swift's life was over. For the maids, it brought back horrible memories. Rayanne felt nothing anymore. She didn't know if Major Swift had kept his word and mailed the parcel to Trent, but she realized it didn't matter anymore. Now, there was no hope for her or the other maids. Rayanne followed the maids back to the servant's quarters and sat with them for a while. All they had now was each other and Rayanne's strong front was breaking down.

When the night time came, Rayanne found herself on the steps going to the castle. She had stayed with Trina and Noelle for most of the day after Swift's execution. They talked about the execution, what a horrible spectacle it was, with Noelle trying to lighten the mood by saying the blonde-haired man in the middle of the crowd was kind of cute. Trina retorted that it looked like he had a girlfriend; the girl was wearing a tough looking outfit not unlike a bandit's with dark make-up, though Trina could have sworn she had seen that girl before. Both girls shook their respective thoughts away when Rayanne decided she needed to leave.

It had been raining all day. It rained a lot in Albion, no matter what region one was in. Rayanne's tears were lost to the pouring rain. She glared up at the windows she knew belonged to the King's chambers. Her attention then went to his statue. It was a coronation gift from the people of Albion not long after the old Hero Monarch died. A gift no believed he deserved anymore.

The voices of the Seer and the King echoed throughout Rayanne's head. She wanted to silence them, but she couldn't. They mocked her, taunted her, called her names, and laughed at her. The Seer's voice was once the loudest of them all, but now that honor went to King Logan. He had plans for her.

"What do you want from me?" Rayanne shouted as she held her head in her hands. She stopped at the statue of King Logan and started crying. "Please tell me…"

As Rayanne looked around the garden, she heard footsteps behind her. Rayanne turned around and there stood Abigail on top of the steps to the castle, holding something closely.

Abigail cleared her throat. "So, did Trent send you any new gifts, Rayanne?" she snarled. "I ask because I saw you carrying a small box to your room after 'cleaning' the King's study the other day." Rayanne faced Abigail as she stared daggers at her. "That wasn't a gift from Trent, was it?" she asked, her voice cracking as she pointed to the charm bracelet on Rayanne's wrist. Even after all this time, Rayanne still kept it on. It was almost full of charms by now, the latest one being a baby carriage. Rayanne grabbed her own wrist and just stared at Abigail. "Miss Marigold was telling the truth, wasn't she? Someone has been buying your silence, and I know who it is…"

Abigail stepped forward and tossed Rayanne's jewelry box on the ground in front of her. Rayanne didn't even know it was missing. "I had to dig under your mattress, but I found the payload. You sure have expensive tastes for a maid. So, how comforting is it to know you have the King's full attention when Miss Marigold died because of you?"

"What…what do you mean?" Rayanne tried to play dumb but Abigail wasn't having it.

"I knew something was going on and now I have proof. I'd present it to the King, but as it turns out he's one half of it. Miss Marigold didn't betray us. She was trying to protect us and now you think you're doing the same. I bet you think of yourself as some kind of martyr, well you're not!" Abigail stepped on Rayanne's jewelry box as the night grew cloudy. It may have been an expensive wooden box, but it still broke under the pressure of Abigail's foot like any other wood.

Rayanne couldn't hold back her tears as Abigail grew closer. "Is he a tender lover, you damn runt?" Abigail snarled with a hint of jealously in her voice. "Does he kiss you before he rips off your clothing? Or does he just have his way like he did that night in the Princess's room?!" Abigail shouted, pointing to the Princess's chambers. "Do you feel protected by his warm embrace or do you find yourself torn between the King and a guard? Does Trent know about this? Does Trent know you might have the next heir to the Albion throne growing within you?"

"So you know!" Rayanne shouted, balling up her fists. "You want to punch me, go ahead! You think I don't feel bad enough, well you're wrong! For years, I've put up with you and Beatrice pushing me around and now I have to deal with this! Do you know I'm the reason you all haven't been sold to Reaver yet? Well, I am! I may not be the martyr but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't blame myself for Miss Marigold's death! I can't even go visit her grave because I don't know if she was even given one!"

"You're nothing but a stupid runt and you've always had your head up someone's ass! First Miss Marigold, then Trent, and now King Logan! And you have the gall to claim you're protecting us!" Abigail shouted back, her voice breaking with the thunder. "You're claiming to be our protector when you're nothing but a whore to a man who can't even keep his own subjects in line!"

"What do you want from me, then?" Rayanne shouted back. Rayanne had been cowering from Abigail for years. Ever since she was a child, Abigail has bullied and harassed Rayanne and the other maids. Tonight, in her weakest yet strongest hour, Rayanne decided she had finally had enough. "You want the King? You can have him! I don't want this anymore…" Rayanne started crying softly. "For years you've pushed me around and now you have me cornered, just like when we were children. Well? You want money? Take all those jewels and sell them because I don't want them. I don't want this. I don't want the torment, I don't want the distance, and I don't want any of this! I don't want to be your punching bag. I don't want to be head maid or queen…"

Rayanne fell to her knees as small droplets started falling to the ground. "I just want to be Rayanne…"

Abigail stepped slowly to Rayanne after kicking the broken jewelry box and its contents out of her way. As if a wave of realization came over her, Abigail's anger left her and she knelt down to Rayanne. Rayanne looked into Abigail's eyes and for the first time saw something other than hatred and anger. She saw something deeper. She saw love…

"I don't want money or the king…" Abigail whispered, helping Rayanne up. "…all I ever wanted was to feel the warmth of someone who loved me. All those men, and a few women, over the years gave me pleasure, but not love. Not even Beatrice loves me. I asked her." Abigail didn't look at Rayanne. "I'm jealous of you, Rayanne. You had Miss Marigold, you have Trent, and you have the king. I always hated how everyone looked upon you with such love. I never knew my family, but you seemed to cultivate one. I always thought all I ever wanted was what you had. But it wasn't until recently when the other maids started to disappear and the Princess left and all the guards that I realized what I truly wanted…"

Abigail looked deeply into Rayanne's eyes. "I'm not jealous that you have the king. I'm jealous that the King has you…"

Abigail leaned forward and kissed Rayanne with the same type of passion the King had. Rayanne didn't know what to do. She kept her eyes open in shock. Abigail's lips parted from Rayanne's and soon turned into a peaceful, yet very disturbing smile that sent terrified shivers down Rayanne's spine. Abigail, for the first time in her life, looked truly happy.

"…and now you know too much…" said a voice behind the two girls. Rayanne and Abigail turned around at the same time to see King Logan and at least six Elites standing behind him. Logan waved to his men, two of them coming forward and grabbing Abigail. "I never liked you." He murmured as the two Elites brought Abigail forward. "For years, I had to deal with you and your little cohort breaking my precious pottery, stealing my possessions, and bullying the other servants. I never had a real reason to have you thrown into the dungeons, but now I do. Thank you for doing the work for me."

King Logan directed Milton and Clyde to take Rayanne inside. Abigail looked back at Rayanne with a sad look in her eyes. Rayanne pleaded with King Logan to let Abigail go, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Rayanne didn't want to be responsible for another death. Abigail may have been the cause of torment for Rayanne and the others for years, but she was still a human being that deserved love. Rayanne may not have returned those feelings, but she knew Abigail deserved love all the same.

"I won't waste bullets executing Abigail." He murmured to Rayanne as he and her guards escorted her back to her room. "She will be housed in the dungeons until she either dies naturally or forgets everything she knows. Whichever happens first, I really don't care." Logan made sure Rayanne went straight into her room. "You shouldn't be out in that weather in your condition."

Rayanne cried herself to sleep that night.

In the morning, when she woke up to sounds of stomping and yelling outside her door, Rayanne noticed her belly had gotten a little bigger in the night. She had an appointment with the doctor later that afternoon. When she got dressed and decided to do her rounds, Rayanne found Milton and Clyde pushing her back into her room gently. "Miss Rayanne, we've been ordered to keep you in your room until this afternoon. All the maids are to stay in their quarters until then as well."

Rayanne cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on?" she chirped.

"Prison break in the dungeon." Milton replied.

"Someone got loose and stabbed a guard. Took his clothing and made a run for it. That _girl _won't get far." Clyde added, folding his arms.

As if something hit her hard in the chest, Rayanne felt the wind leave her. But then she felt relief. She hoped in her heart of hearts that the escapee was Abigail, but she could get no further information from her guards or anyone else. When things calmed down later that day, Rayanne went to her appointment. King Logan was in attendance as well. According to the doctor, everything was normal and the baby had already started to move around in Rayanne.

King Logan smiled and dismissed the doctor for the day. When they were alone later, having tea in the study, Logan kept his eyes on Rayanne. "Soon, you won't fit into that uniform anymore." He murmured after a long silence. Rayanne said nothing. "I had more fitting garments put in your room and your jewelry box will be repaired soon. But in the meantime, I think something is more fitting…"

Reaching into his coat pocket, King Logan pulled out a small box and presented it to Rayanne. She was starting to get tired of these gifts and she felt nothing anymore. Rayanne decided, as King Logan opened the box and presented her with a gorgeous ring, that she might as well get used to it.

"Rayanne, marry me and be my Queen…" Logan whispered, taking Rayanne's hand.

With a bittersweet smile, Rayanne stroked King Logan's hand with her free hand. She accepted the ring and joined Logan in an embrace. "…Yes, My King…"

_**Somewhere in Brightwall**_

"Trent Abernathy?"

Trent, still in uniform but on his way back to the guard's barracks, turned around and found a disheveled looking man holding a package. Most of the guards were on their way to a meeting in the pub and Trent decided to join his comrades as soon as he changed out of his uniform. Major changes were to be enacted soon, but Trent hoped he could talk to his commanding officer about taking leave within the foreseeable future. He had to get back to Bowerstone. He had to get back to Rayanne.

"Yes, I'm Trent Abernathy." Trent replied.

"Miss Page sends her thanks." The man said, handing the package to Trent. The man left before anyone else could see him.

Now Trent was confused. He had heard that post wagons had been intercepted recently, but since he rarely got mail he didn't think much of it. The parcel had obviously been opened and put back haphazardly. Trent made his way back to his barrack and opened the package. The wrapping paper revealed a journal and a small note. Trent read the note and growled as he crumbled it up.

_Trent, _

_I am sending you this journal as proof that you are the only man I love. The king has my body, but you have my heart. I don't know if I'll ever see you again. It hurts me to write this but know that whatever happens, you are always in my heart. As I don't know if you got my last letter, I feel it is appropriate for me to tell you that I'm pregnant and there is a strong possibility that this child is yours. The King is the other possible candidate, but no one else knows that. I feel he is grooming me to be his Queen and I probably won't like it._

_If it came down to it, I'd rather be happy as a soldier's wife than miserable as a queen. If I had the chance, I'd love to be by your side in the mountains. But I have to stay here. I have to protect the others. I have to protect our child. I have to protect you._

_I love you, Trent. Please don't wait for me. Find yourself a wife, have lots of children, and live a good life. Knowing you're happy is all I need._

_All My Love,_

_Rayanne_

Trent didn't bother taking off his uniform. He threw down the journal and the letter. He was going to get that leave. He was going back to Bowerstone. He was going to save Rayanne.

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha my loves!<strong>

**You'll be happy know that I have been working tirelessly on this chapter. My hiatus was longer than I had hoped, but I am back and I have an ending cooked up for this that will knock your respective socks off! If you don't wear socks, then your footwear of choice. I don't judge.**

**This is pretty long as far as chapters for this story goes, but I like the direction it's heading in. I hope you guys like it too. Ever since I got off my hiatus, I have been writing up a storm. Two of my other stories updated as well. I love having the words come back to me like they used to.**

**Ahh, so many questions, yes? What is Trent planning? Will there be a wedding? Who is the father of Rayanne's child? And what happened to Abigail? All (or at least three) of those questions will be answered in the next chapter. Only two chapters to go!**

**So, as always, thank you for your patience regarding my hiatus. I know you guys are eager to sink your teeth into Rayanne's story and get to the end. I know I can't wait! The next chapter will be pretty long, so I suggest you find yourselves a snack and enjoy the ride.**

**As always, read, review, and be merry my doves. Let me know how I did! Let me know how I can make the next chapter the one you anticipate and talk about for a long time. Review, review, review! And be merry, too. Don't forget.**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	9. The Final Pieces

_A Maid's Story_

The Final Pieces

"_Mother, who is this person and why aren't you in bed?" the Young Man asked. This Young Man was obviously the Old Lady's son. He was a tall man with a slender build with a fair complexion. He had deep forest green eyes and a tired look that most shop keepers tended to have._

"_Liam, calm down. He's not hurting anyone." The Old Lady smiled softly and went to make her son's plate. "He's a nice young man from the Bowerstone Post, come all the way out here to the mountains to get my story for the good people of Bowerstone. Isn't that lovely?" The Old Lady smiled and hoped her son would sit in his place like he usually did. She would get no such satisfaction. _

_The Young Man sighed angrily and glared at the Journalist. The Journalist only smiled awkwardly. "Which story, Mother?" The Young Man asked as his mother placed his plate down. "It isn't that one about your time as a maid is it? You know I don't like you telling that story, no matter how much you 'censor' it. What would Father say if he knew you were telling that…smut to the entire town again?!" The Young Man didn't even look at his plate when his mother set it down in front of him._

_The Old Lady just huffed and sat down. "Your father was a big part of that story. This young man came all the way from Bowerstone to get the true story and I decided that since this might be the last time I tell it, that I want nothing held back."_

_The Journalist smiled nervously as the Young Man glared at him. "I promise you, I won't publish anything unauthorized. My editors are quite prudish and I won't publish anything said while my notepad is closed. Your mother has been very hospitable and I would never betray her trust."_

_This did little to quell the Young Man's temper. "I don't trust you for a second…" the Young Man growled, giving the Journalist a very mean look._

"_Liam, don't be so rude to our guest! I swear, of all the things you had to inherit from your father, you had to get his temper as well!" the Old Woman huffed, pouring herself some tea. The Old Woman didn't have much on her own plate, but she still didn't eat much._

_The meal went by slowly and quietly, no one bothering to make conversation. The Journalist didn't want to catch the Young Man's ire any more than he probably had. The Old Woman put down her fork softly and looked up at her dinner guest with a smile. "Tonight is going to be a long night, my friend." She whispered. She chuckled softly after saying that. The Old Woman got up to take her plate to the sink, despite there still being a small helping on it. "Do you know what the seer told me? You remember, I told you that part of the story a few hours ago. 'You will suffer years of personal torment, but in the end it will beget a great reward'; that's what she said to me. Even to this day, her words echo through my mind."_

_Having had enough, the Young Man slammed his hands on the table. "Alright, this has gone on long enough!" He shouted. "Mother, you have been telling that story for years and I am sick of it! Father may have had patience for it, but I don't! I hoped you'd take this story to the grave with you, but now you want to share that smut with the rest of the world?! I won't allow this! You've embarrassed yourself and our family enough with that tawdry trash!" The Young Man turned around the glare at the Journalist. "I want that notebook burned and I want you out of our home, NOW!"_

_Her breathing became heavy and the Old Lady clutched the counter tightly. "Not a day goes by that I don't retell that story in my head. Every word I have given you is true and I hope when I leave this world, the people of this beautiful kingdom will know that I existed. I was a maid, yes, but I was still a person. I was a woman who had needs, a woman who had the right to use those needs to protect the people she cared for, and as a woman with the right to love whomever she deemed worthy!"_

_The Old Lady turned around and faced her son and the Journalist with tears in her eyes. "My story is all I have to give to this world, and that's why I invited you here. You aren't the first Journalist to ask for my story, I'll have you know. Your editor has tried for years to get my story but at least the Bowerstone Post had the decency to ask first! I wanted my story to be written by someone with a good heart; someone who wouldn't stretch it out and embellish it. That's why I refused all the other Journalists who just showed up here out of the blue. I've read your articles before, even all the way out here. When your editor sent me that last letter, I requested you by name and told him I wouldn't tell my story to anyone else. I wanted you to tell everyone that a maid named Rayanne existed and this was her life. I wanted you to tell them what I did and what I gave…"_

_Before she could say another word, the Old Lady fainted. Her son ran to her and helped her up. "Make yourself useful and go get the doctor!" He shouted to the Journalist._

_The hours passed by after the Journalist returned with the doctor. The Young Man refused to let the Journalist inside the house, so he sat at the pub going over his notes so far. It had been a few hours since the Young Man had thrown him out and now the Journalist was getting restless. What he had was gold but he knew his editor (nor his readers or his conscience) would accept it without the ending. His integrity as a journalist was keeping him from making up something on the spot, so he was at a standstill. The Journalist sat back in his chair and sighed at the ceiling above him. He hadn't even touched the mug of beer he had ordered._

_This Old Lady had poured the very essence of her life to this Journalist and he was grateful. He was grateful for the honor she had given him: To be the one to tell her story. The truth, with nothing held back. It was his duty to let the world know that this woman, a lowly maid that by outward appearances made no difference, had actually made a big difference. _

_The Journalist was restless, switching positions in his chair every few seconds. He was itching for the ending, not just to finish his task, but because he wanted to know the truth. The Journalist paid for his drink, even though he hadn't touched it, and picked up his notepads. He had filled almost a dozen since he arrived that morning. As he packed up, a figure in the doorway caught his attention. Apparently, the Old Woman's son had come looking for him._

_The Journalist guarded his pack of notes, worried the Young Man would snatch them up. The Young Man spotted the Journalist and made his way to the table. "Leaving so soon?" he asked. "I want you to know I am here on the request of my mother. The doctor told me her sickness has progressed and didn't know how long my mother had. She wanted me to come down here and apologize for my behavior tonight. I guess one never grows out of being a mother. She also told me if she doesn't tell you her story, someone else will. The gods know she's told everyone in town this smut, and she believes the gossipy young ladies will only embellish the story. She wants you to get it right."_

"_Well then, may I come see her?" the Journalist asked._

_The Young Man shook his head. "No, the doctor says her heart is too weak and he's going be staying with her until…" the Young Man didn't want to finish his sentence and the Journalist didn't force him to. "I need to be with my mother, and as much as I HATE and LOATHE that story, I'd rather the truth be told and not some tawdry gossip. Seeing as she can barely breathe, I asked how she was going to accomplish this task. All she did was give me this to give to you, saying you'd know what to do. She's always been a bit cryptic."_

_The Young Man held in his hand an old wooden box. It was pretty big, bigger than an average jewelry box, and looked like it has weathered some tough times. The Journalist took it gently, noting it was heavier than it looked. The intricate designs on the box didn't look factory cut, and the carvings looked worn. "As a journalist, I think she expects you to piece together the rest of the story. My mother wants her story told and I'd be a fool to deny her this final wish. But as her son, I have to ask that you keep some form of professionalism in doing so. If she is well enough tomorrow, I will come get you so you can get whatever you couldn't get from whatever is in that box. Though, I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."_

_With that, the Young Man left the Journalist standing in the middle of the pub. Not wanting to seem too excited, the Journalist waited until he knew the Young Man was out of sight before jauntily running up to his rented room and closing the door tightly. He locked both locks on the door and even put the spare chair in front of it. The Journalist didn't want to be disturbed. He turned on the small desk lamp on the table and sat down to work. He had a lot to uncover and not a lot of time to do it._

_The Journalist worked tirelessly into the night, only stopping every hour or so to stretch. It was probably right before sunrise that the Journalist pieced together all he could from the contents of the box. Luckily for him, the Old Lady was quite organized. Newspaper clippers, wanted posters, folded notes, and a few scribbled letters were among the treasures in the box. The Journalist had even found a series of notes labeled only as "Abigail" in a little notebook. She wanted nothing held back and the Journalist knew what he had to do._

_Now, it was time to finish the story._

* * *

><p>The tunnel was dark, but so was the demeanor of the woman walking toward the big room at the end. This girl had been through hell and back and now felt she was making the foolish decision of going through it again. But what was there to lose now? Nothing in her opinion; everything she had ever wanted was locked away in a gilded prison and she didn't know she wanted it until it was too late.<p>

Her red hair was a mess and hadn't been washed since she dove into the river to escape the guards. Her outfit, an Elite Guard's uniform tattered from the chase, helped her blend in to escape the castle until someone called her out. Now, it was her only form of clothing. She had removed the breastplate when she felt it was weighing her down. She walked with purpose in the boots that were a size too big and pants that were way too baggy for her small frame.

Abigail felt right in her element down here. She had found some like-minded people here. They wanted the same thing she did: to take down Logan at all costs. She had a different reason for wanting the King's head on a pike. She didn't tell them that, though.

At the moment, she had business to tend to. A special visitor was here today and this visitor was informed that Abigail had valuable information. Abigail waited to be let in by the two makeshift guards and when the big door finally swung open, Abigail walked inside like she owned the place. She didn't think she did, though. She knew she had to humble herself around her new friends. The leader of the sewer army and the special guests were standing around a table not unlike the big map table the King kept in his war room.

"Ahh, here she is now." said Page as Abigail walked in. Page, the leader of the Resistance, was an impatient woman who wanted results the day before they were promised and didn't take excuses. Despite this, she had patience for Abigail. Abigail had a front row seat to the recent events at the castle which made her information valuable, especially after the recent loss of Major Swift. Page was an opportunist if there ever was one and never let a good lead pass her by.

Abigail knew who these people were and didn't even attempt to feign surprise. She wasn't surprised to see Princess Robin and Sir Walter standing on the other side of the big map table. She was a little surprised when the Princess recognized her.

"You…you were one of our maids!" Princess Robin shouted, pointing to Abigail. Sir Walter nodded, though he said nothing. "Abigail, if I recall. You and that dark-haired maid used to tease the others."

Abigail nodded. "Yes, it's Abigail and it's a pleasure to see you in such humbling surroundings, my Princess." Abigail decided not to insult anyone's intelligence with too many formalities. "But my life as a maid ended when I learned the horrible secrets your brother holds." Abigail didn't care for impressing anyone. She made it no secret her disdain for King Logan but she was not alone in that department. In the sewers, an army was growing and every soldier had their reasons to hate the king. But Abigail was no soldier. Sure, she fought her way out of the castle (which was no easy feat) but she was more than a runaway maid.

After Miss Marigold's death, Abigail had begun stealing from the king. Though it wasn't just trinkets or things she could turn around for a quick profit. She stole information and found ways to pass it along. It wasn't easy taking over where Miss Marigold had failed, but Sir Walter standing next to the Princess in the sewers confirmed that she wasn't the only one "stealing" from the King. The information she had now would be something to make everyone's blood boil.

"You recall a maid by the name of Rayanne, correct?" Abigail asked, her expression not changing.

Princess Robin nodded. "Yes, I remember her! I also remember that horrible incident that happened to her in my room years ago…" Princess Robin looked like she was holding back tears. "I feel responsibility for what happened to her. If not for me, she wouldn't have been…" Sir Walter shushed the Princess before she could continue. He knew Princess Robin still felt horrible about what had happened and he tried to make sure she didn't think about it.

Sir Walter nodded. "A damn travesty, that's what it was. Poor thing being taken advantage of like that in the night; could have been prevented."

Abigail laughed. "Maybe that night, but it would have happened eventually. If not in the Princess's chambers, then somewhere else and we never would have known. If it had happened anywhere else, that guard never would have found her and she'd probably have died afterward from the injuries she sustained."

Page was getting restless. "I didn't go through the trouble of getting everyone in this room to talk about the sex lives of maids!" she shouted, pounding on the table. Abigail made a motion with her hand, indicating that she was getting to the point. Page crossed her arms and huffed, urging Abigail to continue.

"I bring this up because the culprit wasn't some sexually deprived guard or a deviant noble that snuck away from the party like everyone assumed." Abigail looked like she wanted to spit, but only balled up her fists in anger of what she was about to say. "The King knows who did it because _the King is the guilty party!_" Abigail hissed.

Princess Robin, Sir Walter, and Page looked at Abigail in shock.

"Don't you think it was odd that he took a special interest in this case?" Abigail looked at them angrily, wondering how anyone could be so stupid. "And Why? Because it happened in his sister's room and he wanted to make sure his baby sister was safe? Yeah, right. King Logan took a special interest in that case so he could dispose of any evidence that linked it to him! Redecorating the entire chamber, burning the bed, keeping the bloodstained sheets…" Abigail watched as the Princess's face contorted from a look of curious wonder to complete horror. "The entire chamber, which had been unchanged for hundreds of years save for the occupants and the linens, was completely stripped and redone. He wanted to make sure no one knew it was him. And it gets better…"

Page was suddenly interested. She leaned against the map table and listened closely. Time may have been of the essence, but Page wanted to hear everything.

"It wouldn't be the last time King Logan showed a 'special interest' in Rayanne. For her part, Rayanne played dumb because, let's face it, who would believe her? Being the unwitting consort to the King of Albion? But the King is not an idiot. He knew he had to keep Rayanne silent, so he bought her silence with gifts. If there's one thing I learned from my time in the castle it's that everyone has a price. All you have to do is find it and pay up. The gift of being Head Maid was an inadvertent gift. Miss Marigold died because she was trying to protect us from the King. She felt the only safe place would be the dungeons. I guess she felt after she had established a good foothold here with the Rebellion; she could find a way to break us out. Prison time would have hardened us into a fighting force. But she knew the King's dirty little secret with her poor little apprentice and knew not even the Rebellion could keep her safe. Logan would tear apart Bowerstone with his bare hands to find her. The only safe place for Rayanne would have been the gallows."

Sir Walter finally interjected. "But that plan failed when one of those Elites found her attempting to plant evidence. She knew the King would have no choice but to execute Rayanne if she was falsely discovered to be a spy. But before she could do anything, the Elites grabbed her. In the time she was forming the plan, she must have read Rayanne's journal." Sir Walter sighed and crossed his arms. "I heard what Marigold whispered to Logan that night, but I didn't want to believe it. Now I know it's true and it sickens me."

"And you have every right to be sick!" Abigail shouted. "The only reason he was so attracted to Rayanne was because of her resemblance to the Princess!"

Everyone looked at Princess Robin. "Me?" she asked, demurely.

Abigail nodded. "He couldn't control you anymore. You were probably the only thing that gave him any real comfort in this world and you were slipping away from him. So, since he couldn't very well do any harm to his precious sister, he decided that a look-a-like maid will do. But the kicker is that he actually started to fall in love with her."

Princess Robin looked like she wanted to vomit. "Get to the point before we all get sick!" Page shouted, hiding her own disgust.

"Eventually, Rayanne stopped resisting him and soon she was trapped between her loyalty to the King and her love for a guard named Trent." Abigail looked at the interested group. "Rayanne had found a way to sneak out and meet with Trent but when Logan found out, he was furious. And now, thanks to that little liaison, Rayanne is pregnant and the child may or may not be the heir to the throne of Albion."

The group was speechless. Page took the news into consideration. Abigail had no reason to lie to them, but also had no reason to tell the truth. All the information Abigail had brought before them so far had been correct, so Page knew this was true. "This is dangerous information." Page whispered. "If what she says is true, then we have a bigger problem on our hands. Taking down King Logan is our main priority, but if he has an heir, and this heir has hero blood coursing through them, this could be a potential disaster in the future."

Abigail made no movement. Princess Robin shook her head. "How can a baby be a disaster?" she asked. "You heard her; the baby might not even be Logan's!"

"But it might also be." Sir Walter interrupted. "I think what Page is getting at is that if this child is born, it could one day come and challenge you for the throne after we overthrow your brother. And as Logan's direct heir, he or she would have the most legitimate claim to the throne. You'd have no choice but to step down or fight for your throne. Hero blood against Hero blood can be a dangerous combination. We must find a way to deal with this."

Before Abigail could speak, Page put in her two cents. "I have a good way to deal with it. We kill the mother before the child is born!"

"No!" Abigail and Robin shouted together. Abigail spoke first after that. "Look, I don't care what you do to the King. Kill him, burn is body, and throw the ashes in the sewer for all I care. Once the throne is yours, you do whatever you damn well please. You can have his gold, his jewels, anything you want. I don't want his riches. I just want Rayanne." Abigail snarled. "That means her baby as well."

"I'll take the baby." Princess Robin shouted. "It'll be my niece or nephew, it's only right that I raise this child as my own."

"We'll discuss this later." Sir Walter shouted before Page could say anything more. "We have to plan our trip to Aurora in the meantime. I already have Ben out scouting the ships in the harbor…"

Abigail left them at that moment to finish their plans for their voyage to Aurora, a desert kingdom far from Albion. She had no plans to help them get there nor did she plan to help them to the docks. Abigail had plans of her own. She loved Rayanne and the thought of Logan's hands on her made Abigail's stomach turn. But it was knowing that the maids were still subject to his horrible whims made her even madder, which made her mission even more crucial. She knew she'd never be able to talk Page out of whatever plan she was already forming in her head, so she had to form her own.

For now, the Resistance would have to be Abigail's home and she had to take allies were she could. Abigail decided to stick with her post and bide her time. Until the Aurora expedition was complete, Abigail knew making a move on the castle for any reason without backup would be foolish.

* * *

><p><strong>N'cha, my loves!<strong>

**It's been a while since I've updated, yes yes? I know, I kind of left you guys hanging at the end but I have a good reason for that. The next few chapters, and yes I've decided to extent the number of chapters for this story, will not have an opening featuring the Journalist. In fact, you won't see him again until the last chapter.**

**I wanted to get this out of the way before I begin again with Rayanne's story. I wanted to let you guys in on what happened to Abigail and where she's been. I think you guys are going to like what I have in store for the next few chapters. You'll learn a little more about Rayanne's past as well as what Logan has in store for "his" child. Also, you get to see Trent again!**

**So, what do you guys think? Who's the father of Rayanne's baby? What truths do you want unveiled in the next chapters? Let me know in a review and we'll see where this takes us, hmm?**

**Oh, before I forget, I have a tumblr now! Follow me on Tumblr for updates, news on my other works, and for a glimpse into this crazy adventure I call my life. My name over there is lunapeachielovesyou. I hope to see you soon!**

**Read, review, and be merry!**

**Fable belongs to Lionhead.**


	10. Coming Undone

_A Maid's Story_

Coming Undone

This would mark the first time in at least four years that King Logan had left the castle. The heavily guarded carriage rambled down the cobblestone path through the mostly rocky terrain as the what-seemed-like constant rain finally stopped. The ride was mostly silent, as the carriage's passengers didn't have much to say to each other.

For her part, Rayanne didn't feel the need to leave the castle. While she was honored that she was chosen for an excursion with King Logan, she didn't feel up to heavy traveling. She wanted to be excited about leaving Bowerstone for the first time since she arrived in Industrial as an orphaned child, but she was mostly silent nowadays. Both she and the king were dressed casually, though King Logan still had a regal look to him that announced to the world that he was someone important and shouldn't be trifled with.

Rayanne stared out the window through the lace curtains, watching as the traveling merchants made their way through the harsh landscape. King Logan had recently given Reaver Industries the approval to build a railroad through this region, linking Bowerstone Industrial with Oakfield. Bandits and other unsavory things became too much of a hassle for traveling merchants to reach the towns. He hoped within the next few years that travelers, be it merchant or otherwise, could bypass what he saw as a disgusting region altogether. What would take hours by carriage and days by foot through one region would only take minutes.

"If you're worried about your maids, you shouldn't be." King Logan said after at least a half hour's silence. "The Castle is guarded from basement to attic with my best Elite guards. No one is going to harm them while we are gone."

Looking up but not moving her head, Rayanne just stared at the king. Her pregnant belly was becoming more prominent and the life within her was starting to move around. Her head maid's uniform was starting to become too tight and she had to send it to the royal tailor to be let out right before the trip started. She was actually looking forward to seeing it, as unflattering as the longer skirt and the widened front would be for a while, sitting on her bed when they returned. Rayanne felt out of place in regular clothes.

She was happy that the King let her throw out that skimpy outfit when she became pregnant. He wanted her to keep it, but Rayanne let it "accidentally" fall into the big oven in the kitchen and didn't have time to go all the way across the kitchen to get the tongs made especially for fetching things from the fires of the oven. Her current outfit, a matronly yet still feminine grey dress with gold buttons in the front, had been specially made to accommodate her pregnant belly. Rayanne didn't care for flashy clothes, but the King told her a Queen-to-Be must keep up appearances. Still, he allowed this and a few other dresses to be made.

_Queen-to-Be_…Rayanne thought, glancing back out the window. _I don't know what he's trying to accomplish turning a maid into a queen. Does he think it will garner approval from the commoners? I'm sure the stupider ones will go along with it but anyone with half a brain would know the truth._

Rayanne felt one of the King's gloved hands softly take one of hers. The hand the gorgeous diamond ring was housed on shared the wrist of the almost full charm bracelet. "We should be arriving in Oakfield soon." King Logan murmured, looking out his window. He parted the curtains a bit with his index finger and glared at the scenery. "I hope so, anyway. I'd rather not stay at that Inn on the ridge. It just screams unsanitary even from this distance. No, it will not do. I won't have the mother of my heir and wife-to-be sleeping in such filth." King Logan took his finger from the window and faced Rayanne again.

While she appreciated the sentiment, Rayanne would be happy sleeping anywhere. They could pitch up tents and camp out under the stars for all she cared. She wanted a simple life, not the extravagance he was trying to force on her. Even their destination, a private royal vacation home overlooking the docks of Oakfield, seemed to stand out from the bustling farming community.

Rayanne remembered Oakfield only vaguely. When she had left it years ago in the arms of a guard that saved her from a gruesome death at the hands of her father, it was a small farming community with a few small houses and a dirt path leading to the Temple of Light on the far side of town. From what she was told, Oakfield had grown quite a bit. The farms were still there, but the area was larger with bigger homes, more shops, a big harbor, and even the royal vacation house. Over the years, Oakfield went from farm village by the sea to an up-and-coming getaway for any citizen, rich or poor, wanting to start anew.

None of this interested Rayanne in the slightest. The sun was setting as they passed the sign telling them Oakfield was only a few miles ahead. Something about this area seemed familiar to Rayanne. She sat up for the first time in hours and glared out the window with renewed interest. The land had changed little in the years Rayanne had been gone. When the carriage passed by a broken fence and an overgrown path leading away from the cobblestone road, Rayanne tried to get a closer look.

Visions of happier times graced across her mind as the carriage passed the overgrown road. Before she could ask them to stop, King Logan spoke up. "I'll be conducting some business while we are here, but Milton and Clyde will escort you anywhere you wish to go. Clyde grew up in this town so he can act as tour guide. There are plenty of shops in the newly built Market Square should you want to do some shopping and of course there is plenty to do around the vacation home. I don't recommend you go anywhere else. Milton and Clyde may be your guards, but they answer to me. You'll do well to remember that."

Rayanne nodded and sat back as the carriage rounded another bend, finally reaching Oakfield. The dirt roads that Rayanne remembered were now gone, replaced by paved roads like in Bowerstone. The fields had gotten bigger and the Golden Oak sitting on the edge of town had as well. "There…" Logan mumbled, pointing out the window in the direction of the Golden Oak Tree. Rayanne looked out the window at the vast fields and the house with the windmill just across from the tree. She remembered it being a small cottage last time she was in Oakfield. Now, it was a two story manor overlooking the rest of the town.

"Before my mother became Queen, she owned a house called 'Luminous Cottage' and the property around it. Before her coronation, she turned the small farm into a bustling ranch and had the cottage built into a proper ranch house. She owned many properties throughout Albion, but she said this one brought her the most joy. Possibly because it's vicinity to the Temple of Light and the memories it brings." Logan folded his arms as the carriage approached the gate to the ranch. "From that farm the town continued to prosper."

The carriage finally stopped and the door swung open. King Logan got out first and took a deep breath of air. He smiled and started for the house proper as the guards took in the luggage. Milton, acting as footman, offered his arm to Rayanne. "Miss Rayanne, welcome to Oakfield." He announced, helping her out of the carriage. Clyde, carrying Rayanne's three suitcases, followed closely.

Elegance was abundant in this home. It was big, as Rayanne had expected, but the luxury seemed out of place amongst the rural surroundings. "Take all those up to the master suite." King Logan commanded as Rayanne stepped into the manor. Logan brought Milton and Clyde close to him when he thought Rayanne was out of earshot. "She is not to leave your sight during this trip, is that understood?" Logan growled, his expression not changing. "Take her anywhere she wants, but she is not to leave the town borders. We will only be here a few days before my next order of business is needed."

Rayanne didn't know what "business" Logan needed done all the way out here. She didn't see the need to come out all this way, but she knew Logan wanted to keep a firm grip on her. He knew she would attempt to leave the castle if he went on this long journey alone because that is exactly what Rayanne was going to do. She knew it and didn't even deny it when Trina and Noelle asked her. Trina and Noelle knew Rayanne's secret and now Rayanne was sure half of Albion knew by now.

King Logan told Rayanne he would announce the engagement when they returned to Bowerstone in a few days. Rayanne said nothing. She had nothing to say lately. After a small dinner in the dining room, both the king and Rayanne went to bed. When she asked where she would be sleeping, Logan directed her to the master chamber where a grand sized bed awaited them. Rayanne shouldn't have been surprised. Most would have deemed it improper for an "engaged" couple to share a bed before their wedding, but seeing as Rayanne was possibly carrying the next heir of Albion in her womb, propriety was the last thing on their minds. Logan made sure she knew the score.

Behind her dressing screen, Rayanne examined her body as she undressed. Her pregnant belly was now prominent and it was no secret anymore. The candle on the table was her only light as she softly touched her belly, feeling it softly with two fingers. Her own cold touch felt odd, but the feeling of another life growing within her felt stranger. Rayanne felt the heat of the candle as she reached for her nightgown, a new silk and lace number chosen by King Logan.

As she reached for the nightgown, Rayanne felt a hand touch her arm. She looked up and saw Logan standing next to her, wearing nothing. The night was warmer than one would have expected for this time of year, but weather had nothing to do with this. Logan looked down at Rayanne and brushed her cheek with his hand. Their silhouettes joined in this odd display of misplaced affection. Logan's eyes didn't seem to change, even as Rayanne took a few steps back. He brought her closer and held her tightly.

"Don't shy away from me, Little Maid…" he whispered as he began kissing her neck. Rayanne felt him lead her to the bed they were to share. The room was dark still and movement was limited. She lay on the bed and awaited him, but only felt his hand on her stomach. He made a habit of doing this lately. He found her pregnancy stunning and intriguing.

The candles danced in tune with the building wind outside. He had been gentle with her lately, due to her pregnancy. Even on this night, as he lay down and once again pronounced his love in the only way he could, he was gentle. It didn't stop Rayanne from feeling used when it was over, though.

The night passed by slowly, with Logan holding Rayanne tightly in his grip. She wanted to be back in her own bed. She wanted to escape the horrible feeling of stifling claustrophobia she was feeling at the moment and go back to life as it was. But as she turned her head to face Logan again, she realized this was life now. The all-powerful King of Albion was laying there, helpless and vulnerable in a deep sleep. Rayanne just watched him, thinking he was a fool to trust her like this.

Anyone else would have taken this opportunity to kill him. To hold a knife in their hand and slash the king's throat. To let the blood of heroes stain the bed sheets as it had stained the walls of this cabin when his mother sacrificed her first family the night she saved Albion from Lord Lucien. Would anyone be sad at his death? Would Albion mourn another lost hero? Would the guards really react to this? How loyal were they really? Questions like this flew through Rayanne's mind all night until she finally fell asleep. The questions plagued her mind again during the quiet breakfast and even when Logan told her he had business to tend to nearby and wouldn't be back until late.

She appreciated the show of sincerity when he knelt down to kiss her hand. She could appreciate a good show as much as the next theatergoer. She heard him whisper to Milton and Clyde to stay with her at all times this day as he left with almost an entire army of his Elite Soldiers. Rayanne sat there, alone, having not moved since King Logan had finished his breakfast.

Milton and Clyde stood to each side of Rayanne and waited for her to finish her breakfast. It was quiet for a while. The only sound being the birds outside. Rayanne had barely touched anything on her plate, but she pretended to be hungry, if not for Milton and Clyde's sake. Milton and Clyde stood behind Rayanne's chair and watched her slowly nibble on cold toast. It reminded Rayanne of when she was living in the orphanage and the matrons would punish any child who didn't finish their breakfast down to the last bit of cold watery grits.

Rayanne dabbed her lips with the cloth napkin and only briefly glanced at the half eaten food on her plate. As if mocking the orphanage matrons from her past, Rayanne tossed her napkin over the plate and stood up. Milton grabbed the barely eaten plate and took it into the kitchen as Clyde helped Rayanne up.

"Are you feeling alright, Miss Rayanne?" asked Clyde, trying to sound sincere with his official booming voice. "You barely touched your food."

Rayanne sighed and just stared at the table. "Yes, I'm fine." She mumbled. Rayanne walked toward the hallway leading to the stairs.

"King Logan wants you to get out and see the village a bit. He believes the exercise would be good for you." said Milton, leaving the kitchen and standing next to Clyde. "If you don't mind, the King has permitted Clyde and I to change into more casual clothes so the villagers will be more comfortable in your presence."

Rayanne just nodded. "I actually do have a place I'd like to visit. If you don't mind breaking the rules a little bit, I would like to go for a walk." Rayanne left the dining room to go freshen up. Milton and Clyde just looked at each other, somewhat confused.

When she had returned, Rayanne was once again in a gray matron-style dress, only this time she had on a matching frock jacket and hat. King Logan often criticized her fashion sense and often told her that once she is Queen, it will have to change. Rayanne didn't want to stand out, but it'd be hard not to with two guards following her. Luckily for her, Logan had granted them permission to dress casually for their excursion.

Rayanne almost didn't recognize Milton and Clyde without their purple uniforms. It was the first time she noticed that Clyde was slightly shorter than Milton. While still dressed down, the two still had the air of men not to be messed with. Clyde, whose skin was tanned from what she assumed was years of working outside in the sun, didn't have hair but rather he had a buzz cut with brown stubble starting to grow back. Milton looked like he was no older than Rayanne, with a neatly trimmed blonde head of hair and some stubble on his chin. To Rayanne, both men seemed out of place as guards, but Logan had assured her many times (though she didn't ask for it) that Milton and Clyde were the best guards outside his own personal bodyguards.

Something about walking through the village as sunny and happy as Oakfield felt odd to Rayanne. She looked like she was dressed to go to a funeral, but Rayanne figured she buried her self-respect a long time ago. Milton and Clyde insisted she stay near the vacation home, but Rayanne had other plans. They had no choice but to follow her. She walked slowly along the path, passing by farmhands and town guards, all waving to her.

The friendly atmosphere was pretty nostalgic. She looked over at a field with a scarecrow in the center, dressed in a shirt missing a button, worn gloves, and a beat up straw hat. It wasn't an imposing scarecrow by any means, and the crows perched on its "arms" seemed to mock the farmhand working nearby. Rayanne stopped and looked out at the field, as if trying to figure something out. Though there were no plants growing, she could see this field with tall stalks of corn waving in the wind.

Rayanne refocused her eyes and kept walking, her guards close behind her. Every time she turned her head, the world became fuzzy. Her vision blurred, as if something was trying to poke its way out from the deepest part of her mind, a place she had shut off years ago.

Walking toward the path out of town, Rayanne stopped before the cobblestone turned to dirt. Her destination was down this path. She took a deep breath and started walking down the path. Milton and Clyde were close behind her, as always. "Miss Rayanne, we're close to the town limits!" Clyde shouted as Rayanne kept walking. "If the King were to find out-"

Rayanne looked back at him. "I doubt he thinks I am trying to run away. It'd take days to reach Bowerstone on foot. Besides, you two are much stronger than me. If I tried to run, you'd catch me and drag me back. We won't be long. I just…" Rayanne stopped for a moment, but kept her eyes ahead. "…I need to see it one more time…"

Milton and Clyde looked at each other but said nothing. They caught up with Rayanne and followed her down the path. It was a long walk and Rayanne was regretting wearing the shoes she had on. Rayanne could see time slipping by her. Memories she buried when she went to the orphanage were reemerging and for once, Rayanne didn't fight it. Memories of trailing along after her father's wagon as it took their farm's goods to market made her smile somewhat.

Looking over at a broken fence post, Clyde ran in front and stopped Rayanne. "Miss Rayanne, I can't allow you to go any further." He shouted. "This place, this land, it's not right!"

"What's got you spooked, Clyde?" Milton asked, joining him in front of Rayanne.

"This land, down this path, is cursed!" Clyde shouted, fear in his voice. Clyde pointed to the path just off the road that was overgrown with brush and other debris. What were once fields now had brush and small trees growing, darkening the path and the property.

"Cursed?" Milton laughed, skeptically.

"A mad farmer built a house on this land years ago and murdered his family one night." Clyde said. "No one knows what happened, but he just snapped one night and it took the entire town guard to keep him from killing his daughter after he chopped his wife up with a wood axe!"

"Doesn't make the land cursed, just spooky and ominous." Milton waved Clyde's fear away.

Rayanne decided to leave the arguing guards and walk down the overgrown path. Milton and Clyde soon followed. Before her eyes, memories of fields lining the path flashed. Memories of warm spring days running along the fence to meet visitors or to see her father and the farm hands off. She could almost hear the animals in the barn, which she could always see from the road. Mostly a pile of rotting wood now, the barn once held cows, sheep, her father's best horse, and a mean goat that reminded her of her father sometimes.

The trees that grew in the middle of the fields grew much larger than she remember them. The trees shaded the scrub brush and thorny vines that grew their now. She remembered sitting on the fence while watching her father's hired hands tend to the fields.

"Years ago, back when I was just a lad," Clyde started. "…there lived a man and his family on this land. He was a prosperous farmer, once of the richest in Oakfield. The older residents will say wealth didn't buy him a lot of friends or respect, because the man had the foulest temper and normally drove people away. They say he had to hire new farm hands almost every month because that's as long as anyone could bare being around him without killing him. Some days he'd be as happy as a hobbe in a garbage dump, other days…well, you knew to stay out of his way. He had a wife and a child. His wife was a beauty, and very smart. Patient too, apparently. Why she married him, I don't know. Rumor has it her family owed the farmer a large debt and they gave their daughter to him as a wife to pay it off. The older residents say she tried to love him, and often defended him when rumors sprouted, but after a while she couldn't force it anymore."

Rayanne was only half paying attention. She started walking again until they eventually got to a broken gate. The memory of swinging on that gate flashed before her eyes. She could almost hear in the distance the voice of a man telling her to stop playing on it. She looked around and saw no one except Milton and Clyde still behind her. Beyond the gate, nearly overgrown with vines and bushes, sat the main house on the property. The thatched roof had caved in over what Rayanne remembered was the kitchen and the door was rotted. It looked as if the door knob had fallen off and rolled away somewhere.

"They had a daughter." Clyde continued. "My father was a guard for this town. He used to patrol this stretch of road and he'd always see the little girl playing in the fields. The only thing that kept his wife there was that little girl."

Rayanne stepped toward a spot that had nothing in it. She could almost see little imprints in the grass where a chair used to sit. "She had a chair she'd sit in." Rayanne mumbled. "She'd sit in this chair and knit on warm days."

Clyde looked surprised. "Right…" he said. "She loved that child very much. Every time she went into town, which was rare, she'd have that little girl with her. Most of the townsfolk believe if they hadn't had the child, she probably would have thrown herself into the river long ago."

"He rarely let her go to town, unless it was on an errand." Rayanne continued. "He was a paranoid man. He trusted no one, not even his own wife. He knew she didn't love him, even though she tried. He was afraid she'd leave him. Their arguments could be heard for miles. She was never truly happy living with him. When she had her daughter, she found a new reason to live again. What love she couldn't give to her husband, she gave to her daughter."

Rayanne didn't take her eyes off the spot where the chair used to be. The memory of the little girl running toward the woman flashed before her. The little girl hugged the woman tightly and the woman picked the child up, cradling her lovingly.

"We call the night of the accident 'The Night of the Mad Fire'." Clyde said as Rayanne turned her attention back to the house. "From what the guards got from his mad rambling the night of the fire, his wife tried to run off, 'take what was his' according to him."

Rayanne remembered that night well, as she tried to forget it many times. She found that when someone tried to forget something, it stayed no matter what. Rayanne went to open the door but it only fell over into the house. "There was an argument." Rayanne said, as she walked inside. The guards followed her. "The biggest one yet. She had lost her patience with him. She wanted to know why he fired the farm hands and stopped tending to the farm. He accused her of having an affair with one of the workers and making plans to run off with him. She got so mad, telling him she'd had enough of him. She had enough of his paranoia and refused to put up with his madness anymore. She was going back to Bowerstone and she was taking their daughter with her. She refused to expose her child to any more of his madness."

Clyde didn't know that part of the story. Rayanne walked up the stairs, being careful not to step too hard and break the wood. Two rooms sat adjacent from each other. The rooms, or more accurately the big room that took up most of the top floor and the small alcove with a bed in it, were almost bare. What couldn't be taken as evidence had long since decayed. She walked over to the alcove and bent down to examine what was once her bed. The knitted blanket her mother made her still sat there, though filthy and probably germ ridden.

In front of the little bed, a little chest that didn't seem to age with the rest of the house still sat. Rayanne opened it and smiled softly. As if untouched by the elements, her old toys looked up at her. They seemed to be waiting for the little girl to return. Rayanne picked a floppy bunny doll from the top and held it close. Her mother made this for her and it was her favorite.

Milton and Clyde eventually came to her. Clyde had long ago figured out why Rayanne wanted to come here. He put his hand on her shoulder. "A farmer from a neighboring farm saw the flames and ran into town to get the guards. Your father set the fields on fire, probably to keep your mother from leaving. They say he met her by the gate with the wood axe and…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. It looked too painful for Rayanne to hear. "…well, after he was done with your mother, he came after you. He hit you once over the head with the axe handle and was about to finish you off before the entire town guard took him down."

"I heard a commotion outside. My mother told me to pack my things and that we were going to visit her family in Bowerstone. I didn't ask any questions. I had heard about Bowerstone from my mother and I was excited to go. I went to find the little suitcase my mother bought me the day before. I think she knew another argument was coming and this would be the big one." Rayanne held the doll close. "Before I could pack my suitcase, I heard my mother scream outside. I came downstairs and saw the door open. Outside…the fields were on fire…and he was standing over her with her blood on his shirt. Then he looked at me in the doorway and…"

Rayanne's eyes started to water. She didn't see Milton and Clyde look at the stairs in surprise. She didn't see them salute, either. She barely paid attention to the quiet footsteps coming towards them. She looked up at the broken window that looked off toward the front of the property but didn't seem to notice the carriage waiting by the broken fence. She kept the doll close as a hand gently found its way to her shoulder. The sun, finally finding its way from out behind the clouds, shined through the broken glass.

"He tried to kill his own daughter because his wife loved the child more than she loved him. He hated being in competition for her affections with his own daughter." said King Logan, making his presence known to her. Rayanne was trying to fight the tears, but they started streaming down her cheeks. "What made him snap was realizing that he lost."

King Logan nodded to Milton and Clyde, pointing to the chest of toys. The two men grabbed the toy chest and took it outside. Logan helped Rayanne up and took her downstairs. She didn't look at the house as Logan led her to the awaiting carriage. She kept the doll close as the carriage pulled away. He didn't scold her for leaving the city limits. Part of him knew she'd go there. He knew the entire story. "Forgive me for being a fool, my dear." Logan said, finally.

Rayanne just looked at him before putting her head down again.

"It took me all this time to put two and two together. I was a boy when your father was brought before my mother on crimes so horrid, she couldn't bring herself to finish reading the arrest warrant. The crime happened in Oakfield, a place that meant so much to my mother, so she personally presided over your father's trial. I watched it all. Your father's mad rambling and threats toward the monarchy only made my mother mad. But when he refused to acknowledge that he even did anything wrong, that's when I saw my mother's face contort into pure hatred. It's a look I only saw once. My mother looked at Walter Beck, her most trusted advisor and friend, and told him to make sure your father never saw the light of day again. When he asked if your father should be hanged, my mother refused to be so merciful."

Clutching the doll, Rayanne looked up at Logan once again. She didn't lower her head this time. "Where is he?" she asked.

Logan didn't move. His hands were on his lap, keeping his composure as best he could. "That was also the day I found out about Ravenscar Keep." He answered after a long pause. "The prison had been around for gods only know how long. My mother, being a peaceful-minded woman, rarely had use of it. She told Walter to put your father in the smallest, darkest, most foul cell the prison had. Being the loyal man that he is, Walter made all the arrangements. Your father was dragged out of the throne room. When asked what would happen to you, Walter responded that you'd already been 'taken care of'. I don't think my mother knew you were being sent to an orphanage."

The ride back to Oakfield proper was quiet. Rayanne looked up and noticed they weren't going back to the vacation home. Logan had the driver stop at the cemetery at the edge of town. Milton helped Rayanne out of the carriage, but Logan instructed him and Clyde to stay behind. Logan directed her to a spot under a big tree. "The town records show your mother is buried here. A simple, unmarked grave. I don't mean to sound grim, but the town clerk said there wasn't much of her left to bury when your father was finished. He still saw to it that she received a proper burial."

Rayanne stood there staring at the spot for the longest time. For the rest of their stay in Oakfield, Rayanne requested to go to this place every day. Milton and Clyde obliged and didn't complain, even when she'd sit on the ground for hours. The day before they were due to leave Oakfield, Rayanne stopped at a stonecutter's shop and brought something with her to the grave. Milton and Clyde watched her put the simple grave stone on her mother's grave. Rayanne teared up and put her hand on her stomach. Her belly had gotten a little bigger since arriving and she felt her child kick within.

The leaves from surrounding trees started to fall as Milton and Clyde walked with Rayanne back to the summer home. They didn't bother to ask her if she was alright. They knew she wasn't. Before returning to the house proper, Rayanne stopped and looked toward the path that led to her old home. She snorted once and kept walking.

Rayanne never saw that house, or the property, again. When the town clerk asked her what she wanted to do with the land, since she was technically the rightful heir, she said nothing. The land meant nothing to her anymore. She got up from the clerk's chair, saying it can burn for all she cared, and left his office. The happy childhood had been taken from her and the land brought her nothing but bad memories and a stomachache. Staying on that land would only cause her more anguish.

On the day they left Oakfield, Logan saw to it that her requests were seen to. Rayanne stayed in bed that morning after telling Logan she felt under the weather. The entire town of Oakfield, even the guards and the sheriff, were in attendance as the former home of the "Mad Farmer" was torched. A strange wave of relief came over the older residents while some swore they heard the sound of screaming coming from the house as the flames reached for the cloudless sky. The land was eventually sold years later, though Rayanne wasn't sure who was foolish enough to buy the land. She saw a nice profit from the sale, but the gold would sit the bank for a long time before Rayanne found use for it.

They didn't use the carriage this time to travel. They were now sailing to their next destination. How King Logan had a sailing vessel ready on such short notice was beyond her. The ship was too big to moor at the docks of Oakfield, so a row boat took them to the awaiting vessel. They shoved off after everything was placed on board.

"You brought me here on purpose, didn't you?" Rayanne asked, saying something for the first time in almost a day. She watched from a port window as the ship left Oakfield and now wobbled on its way to their next destination. Rayanne couldn't say she was sad to see Oakfield become smaller in the distance. Rayanne and Logan sat in a study-like room connected to the private quarters. The tea that had been set out for them shook slightly as each wave hit the ship.

Logan, who was looking over some papers he brought for the next leg of the trip, only looked up once. "You make it sound like I get some sort of sick pleasure out of seeing people suffer." He muttered, going back to the papers.

"I sometimes wonder if you do." Rayanne mumbled, reaching for her lukewarm cup of tea. Rayanne didn't bother holding her tongue around King Logan anymore.

Logan put his papers down and gave Rayanne a pensive look. "I didn't bring you along to torture you. If I wanted to see you suffer emotionally, I'd find a more convenient method closer to home. No, I brought you along because it is time you stopped acting like a maid and started acting like a Queen. Being a king or a queen means making tough decisions. I tried to show my sister that, but I don't think it quite sunk in as I had hoped. While most people have the difficult decision to have toast or a muffin for breakfast, by that time I've already signed papers, ordered proper procedures, and met with my generals. Most of the kingdom sees me as some ogre, sitting in a castle and casting punishment on anyone who so much as breathes through the wrong nostril. The less they know, though, the better."

Rayanne just stared at him. "What do you mean, 'the less they know'?" she asked.

Getting up from his seat and kneeling down next to her, Logan only chuckled. He put his hand on her growing tummy and gave a tiny smile. "The only thing you need to worry about right now is what to name our child. For a boy, I was thinking 'Logan II'. Yes, Prince Logan the Second."

Rayanne rolled her eyes and went back to looking out the window. "So, what was my tough decision?" she asked.

"My plan isn't through yet." Logan answered, putting his ear to her stomach. "Having your former home destroyed was easy. Material things are easier to get rid of."

Rayanne only sighed. Despite the great speed the ship moved at, the trip felt longer. She was expecting to hit Bowerstone, but was surprised when the ship docked at a desolate looking island. The island itself was craggy and the shore was too rocky for anyone to enjoy a nice walk on the beach. The water looked too polluted to swim or enjoy, anyway. Probably oil run-off from ships. She wondered if this was the fabled "Ravenscar Keep" that the guards whispered about. The winding path up the hill led to a massive fortress. It was depressing, even in the bright sunlight of the day.

King Logan started walking, instructing her to follow. "This, my dear, is Ravenscar Keep." He shouted over the loud crowd of soldiers making their way up the hill. "My mother wanted it shut down, but found it useful during her reign. She rarely used it, accept for serious malcontents. When I took the throne, I was going to have it shut down as well. But, it proved quite useful for me as well."

Milton and Clyde stayed close to Rayanne as they walked up the path behind the King. "Why are we here?" Rayanne whispered to Milton. Milton and Clyde were back in their Elite guard uniforms. She was somewhat relieved to see them in purple again. She wasn't sure why.

Milton only shrugged. "I don't know, Miss Rayanne. I assumed we were heading back to Bowerstone after he was done in Oakfield. He never told us that we were coming to…" Milton swallowed hard and tried not to sound terrified at the sight of the place. "…the Keep…"

Clyde nodded in agreement, but said nothing. Rayanne would later learn that Logan rarely used the prison in the last years of his reign, despite the trip they were currently on. As evidenced by the senseless public executions of Miss Marigold and Major Swift, King Logan just found it easier to kill people that he saw as enemies of the state.

After struggling to catch up with him, Rayanne looked at King Logan and then at the massive iron gate leading to the prison proper. A guard in an identical uniform to the Elites (except black), nodded to a superior, and rushed to open the gate. Why it was locked when escaping this monolith of a fortress was obviously impossible was beyond her. "Why are we here?" she whispered to Logan as the guard opened the gate for them.

The gate made a horrid high pitched whining sound at it opened. It was obvious to Rayanne that this gate was rarely used and was probably mostly there for show. Since prisoners obviously didn't use the front entrance, she figured the guards lived somewhere else on the island and came in through another entrance for their shifts. She imagined standing by this gate all day watching seagulls was both the most ideal and the most boring shift.

Inside, Logan and Rayanne were escorted to what she assumed was the head warden's office. The man leading them said that the warden, Commander Milton, was currently out at the moment but left the detailed lists that Logan had requested in his last correspondence. Rayanne looked around the office, noting it was the nicest room in the entire facility. Not surprising in the least. Logan looked over the papers and handed them back to the guard.

"I want Number 764 brought to the interrogation room at once." Logan commanded.

The man, who Rayanne later learned was called Lieutenant Hadley, looked at the king in surprise. "Number 764, sir?" he asked, wondering if he heard King Logan correctly. "But the orders for that one-"

Logan waved his hand in the air. "I know my mother's orders, and on any given day I'd agree to uphold them. But today is special. Come get us when he is there."

Lieutenant Hadley nodded, though still unsure, and ran to see that his requests were met. King Logan sat in a plush chair across from the desk after dusting off the seat. He waved his hand, telling Rayanne to sit next to him in the other seat. She did, but not after dusting it off as well. It was quiet for the longest time. Milton and Clyde stood by the doors, keeping anyone except the Lieutenant from entering. Logan reached over and took Rayanne's hand.

"People think giving orders is easy." He said, finally. "That just waving my hand in the air, things get done. It's not as easy as that. Commands can be given, but often not done. Sometimes, you have to see to things yourself. Sometimes, you have to wonder if the decree or order you give is the right one. Not for you, but for the people. When you become royalty, either by birth or by marriage, it doesn't matter what you want anymore. People believe that I can do whatever I want, and while that may be true inside my castle, when I'm out in Bowerstone looking at the people I realize my needs are minuscule compared to the greater good."

Rayanne wondered if the people knew this side of Logan. All they saw was a man taxing them into the gutter and sending anyone who says anything bad about him or his policies to gods know where. From the sparseness of the prison, he obviously wasn't sending them here, least not anymore. If he was, she wondered what happened to them. Rayanne started to wonder if this would have been Abigail's fate had she not escaped from the dungeons. She had heard rumors from the guards in the castle before they left that Abigail (or a girl looking like her) had been seen roaming around Bowerstone Industrial. A woman in tattered Elite's clothes wouldn't be hard to find, assuming Abigail didn't find any other clothes.

Logan seemed to only show this side to Rayanne. To everyone else, he was cruel and punished any slight mistake. Rayanne wondered how long this would last. She wondered if he'd calm down after the baby was born. She doubted it. Logan was not a man to take things easy. Her biggest fear, and she felt it justified, was that after the baby was born, he'd take the baby and raise it to fit his ideals. That was, of course, after he'd thrown her in some dingy dungeon to die. He was getting paranoid, or more so than usual. She wondered how long it will before she wasn't even allowed to leave with her guards anymore.

Before she could think of an answer, Lieutenant Hadley came back in. He cleared his throat. "Prisoner Number 764 is in the interrogation room, Sire." He said, placing the list back on the desk. "Before you go, I must warn you, he's…" Lieutenant Hadley looked as if he was trying to find the right words. "That prisoner, Sire; he's dangerous. He's never been quite right in the head. We don't even let him eat with the other prisoners, we just slide his food in through a hole at the bottom of his door. He's unpredictable-like."

"I know." Logan mumbled, leading Rayanne out of the office.

Rayanne found, however, that Logan wasn't interrogating anyone. Except her for the brief walk. "You loved your mother?" he asked. Rayanne looked up at him in surprise. "I loved my mother very much. I didn't see much of my father, sadly. My mother was a good woman. When she died, Albion mourned her, STILL mourn her to this day. When my father died…" Logan looked away. Rayanne believed she knew where this was going. "…only my mother cried. My sister was an infant and even she didn't shed a tear for that man."

Her heart pounding, Rayanne felt she knew what was coming next. The interrogation room's door was big and made from iron with a single slot to look into. Logan smiled and looked at Rayanne. She only looked up at him. He nodded to the guard and the guard opened the big iron door.

"Today, you get the answers you were denied." Logan said as the door screeched open. "And when that is done, you will make your first order as Queen."

Rayanne looked up at Logan as they were ushered into the room. The room was sparse with only a wood table and two wooden chairs. Occupying one chair was a disheveled man, his wrists in binds. For a moment, Rayanne didn't recognize this man. His hair was unkempt and looked like a grey bush. His beard was grey as well and looked like it was compensating for his sunken cheeks. She wasn't sure how often the inmates were allowed to bath, but this man looked like he hadn't even seen a damp rag in years.

"He is restrained for your protection as well as his own, Sire." The guard said, leaving the room. "If he starts getting belligerent, just let us know and we'll come running back in."

Logan pulled the free chair out and let Rayanne sit. She wasn't sure if the man was looking at her or not. An awkward silence went by and soon the man started making an awful sound from his lips. Rayanne wasn't sure if he was growling or crying. She reached for Logan's hand and squeezed it tight. After a moment, she realized what she heard was laughter. It was a terrifying sound that would stay in her mind and haunt her nightmares for years.

"As I live and breathe…" the man coughed. "…I had a feeling today would be a special day when they gave me an extra helping of the breakfast mush. I must…" the wheezing cough came back and the man turned his face away to cough. "…I must have done something nice to deserve an au-audience with the King!" the man wheeze-laughed again. "I had heard the King was taking a wife soon. A-are you her?" the man directed his question to Rayanne. He was silent for a long time again. "Ahh, by the gods…"

The man opened his eyes, revealing horrible orbs of what was possibly grey. His expression changed many times during this moment. Happiness, sadness, confusion, and back to happiness. Each time, he kept the undertones of psychosis with each change.

"Ray…Ray…" the man coughed into his sleeve. It looked like there was some blood in it. "Rayanne! Darling little Rayanne. Apple of her mother's eye. Slayer of bunny demons and conqueror of cow pastures the world over!" the old man's croaky laugh made Rayanne uneasy. "Rayanne, daughter of Ronald and Clementine…"

Rayanne cringed hearing this old man saying her mother's name. He said it as if he was trying to spit. It was then she realized who this man was. Her eyes widened and she sat up. Logan watched the horrified look on her face grow but did nothing. Memories ran through her mind at that moment. Memories of the farm, of her mother, of her father. Her father, with his eyes that always looked distant no matter what.

"Father?" Rayanne chirped, putting her hand on her stomach as if to protect her unborn child.

The man laughed loudly, spit flying onto the table. "I haven't…" another sputtering cough left his mouth. "I haven't been called that in so long. Music to my ears! 'Father, take me to town with you!' and 'Father, why did the baby sheep have to go away with the food stall man?' Oh, and my personal favorite: 'Father, why were you touching Mummy like that?" The man laughed loudly and sat up.

Rayanne looked at this man in disgust. He cackled on. "So, come to visit your poor ol' dad after all this time, hmm? Where've ya been at, Rayanne? Too busy hobnobbing with the stuffed shirts to pay your own poor father a call? You and your mother are just alike. She thought she was too good for farm life but I set her straight. She wanted to leave, but she was mine! Her pa owed me and he couldn't pay, so she came home with me! That was the deal, old man!" the man shouted at the ceiling to nothing in particular. "She was mine, and she wanted to leave!"

Clearing her throat, Rayanne tried to speak without breaking. "So, this is where you've been, Father?" she asked. "I was told you were left to rot in your own filth, but it seems it was more unpleasant than I had come to expect. I spent my childhood in the service of the Royal Family of Albion and you've been here."

Another horrible, sputtering laugh. "Service?! Is that what they're calling it nowadays?" he laughed. "They can call a duck what they want but it's still a duck! Looks to me like you've been more of a 'service' than you want to say. So, how much does being the King's whore pay? Because I know some ladies here in the Keep that could get in on that action!"

Logan looked as if he wanted to strangle this man himself. But he has decided that this would be Rayanne's decision. He was hoping that her final decision would be to let him strangle this man with his bare hands. Of course, he kept himself composed. He cracked his knuckles under the table just to be safe.

"I guess I've come here to ask you questions. I could have gone the rest of my life not knowing you were still alive, but it is what it is." Rayanne moaned. She glared at Logan, but directed her gaze back to the man sitting across from them. "I was taken to the orphanage in Bowerstone Industrial after what happened. That night haunts my dreams, even to this day. I want to know, Father; I want the answer to the question that has plagued me since then. Why?"

The man looked up at Rayanne. "Why what?" he asked.

"Why did you kill my mother?" Rayanne snarled. "Why did you tear our family apart? Why did you hack her up into little pieces so there was barely anything left of her to bury?!"

The man laughed again. This was starting to get on Rayanne's last nerve. "She wanted to leave!" he yelled at her. Milton and Clyde stepped forward, reaching for their weapons. Logan stopped them and instructed them back to the door. "She wanted to leave! For years, she wanted to go! 'Take me back to Bowerstone! I don't want to be here!' Many, many nights of that. She didn't understand that she was mine now and she couldn't go back. I had to make it to where she couldn't leave me! That's when I knocked her up!"

Rayanne, her cheeks red from anger, just stared at him.

"She had you, then she had to stay! Baby needed a father and I was the father! It was supposed to make her love me! It just made her hate me more! You mother, so pretty, so young! Her skin was like fresh milk and her lips like plump berries. You didn't work, you brat! You went against the plan! You were supposed to make her stay with me!" Her father growled at her, as if she was the drooling maniac on the other side of the table. "You were supposed to make her love me but instead she loved you! She loved you more than she loved me! I knew she was seeing another. She saw him and made plans to take you back with her to Bowerstone. You were both mine and she wanted to take you back. You were mine!"

Rayanne snarled again. "We were NOT yours!" she shouted. "We were not your property! You had no right to call yourself her husband and you have no right to call yourself my father!"

"I couldn't let her leave! The fire wouldn't keep her, oh no! I knew that after I started it. The fire would slow her down, but the axe would stop her. Yes, the axe would stop both of you from leaving! Now, pieces of her are all around! Where is she staying now, Rayanne? I wish to visit her. I want to see if we can rekindle that spark!"

"YOU NEVER HAD THAT SPARK, SHE WAS FORCED TO MARRY YOU!" Rayanne shouted, pounding her hands on the table. "The townsfolk told me the only thing keeping her from jumping into the river and letting herself sink was me. She never loved you!"

The man stared at Rayanne for a moment and then started to laugh again. "You look like her, you know. Those eyes…when I first saw them, I knew she had to be mine. I wouldn't accept any other payment from her father but I would accept her. He didn't want to, but when I threatened to call the sheriff to settle the matter, he happily agreed. She made that very same face when her father told her what was going on. She cried for days. In fact, she cried every day. She cried every time she got into bed. The only time she didn't cry was when she had you. But now, here you are, whore of the great King Logan! And you got something in your belly! Just like she did…"

Rayanne assumed she was talking about her again. "Yes, I am pregnant. Not that you deserve to be a grandfather, but I am pregnant."

"…and now the King thinks he has to marry you? Still honorable, the great King Logan!" the man laughed loudly.

Rayanne had just about had enough of this. She decided to end this madness before she went crazy herself. "Did you ever actually love my mother and me? Or were we just property to you? Did you ever take one look at my mother and see her as more than just something that belonged on the farm?!"

The old man just stared at Rayanne. "She was mine. She will always be mine. And it seems history is about to repeat itself! Now you belong to someone, too!" The man looked at King Logan wildly, making the guards reach for their weapons again. "TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE RAYANNE! IF SHE TRIES TO LEAVE, YOU CAN USE MY AXE IF YOU WANT!" His horrible laughter filled the room and the hallway.

Rayanne couldn't take it anymore. She got up and left with Milton and Clyde come to the table to keep the old man from following. King Logan got up and calmly left the room. Rayanne was outside, her face in her hands, tears streaming through her fingers. Logan placed on hand on her shoulder. He didn't need to say anything to her.

"I want him to have the same dignity he gave my mother." She growled with the authority of a Queen. "I want him to see the horror my mother went through the night he decided we weren't his family. I want him to spend the rest of eternity in an unmarked grave, just like he tried to do to my mother. No one is to lay flowers on his grave, and NO ONE is to remember where he is buried. That is the only mercy he will get from me!" And with that, Rayanne stomped away.

They left Ravenscar Keep that night. She wondered if the fire she saw from her porthole window was her father burning at the stake. She actually didn't care. Ravenscar Keep would leave her thoughts and wouldn't resurface for many, many years. Fire seemed to be a recurring theme for Rayanne. Fire, she was once told, could be a destroyer and a purifier. In the months to come, Rayanne wondered which would overrun Bowerstone and all of Albion. She wondered which fire would set her free. She never realized she'd get her answer at the worst possible time.

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><p><strong>Hi, hi, my loves!<strong>

**I've been a bit dead lately, I know. I've got a ton of work I need to complete, but Valentine's Day being yesterday gave me the inspiration I needed to finish this chapter. I wanted the feeling of anger and unnecessary rejection to come into this piece and I think I got it. Feel free to punch a wall while reading it. It's okay, I'll wait…**

**Next chapter will technically be the last chapter of the story proper and the chapter afterward will be the epilogue.**

**So, like how the chapter went? Don't keep it to yourself, tell me about it! Leave me a review and maybe the next chapter will get here sooner! Reviews make the author happy, which means the chapters come out faster and that makes the readers happy! EVERY ONE DESERVES TO BE HAPPY!**

**Ahem...**

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**King Logan and all things Fable belong to Lionhead.**


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